Game Preview:

The conference home season will open up on Saturday afternoon as the Truman Women's Basketball team host 6-1 Missouri Southern State University in the only meeting between the two teams this season. Tip time is slated for 1:00 p.m.

The Bulldogs (5-1; 0-1 MIAA) will be looking to bounce back after suffering their first blemish on the season on Wednesday night at the hands of Missouri Western. The Griffons used an 11-0 run late in the first half to defeat the Bulldogs 71-64 at the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph. Jennifer Conway led Truman with 14 points while Heather Howard paced the Griffons with 13.

Truman's leading scorer, Becka McHenry was kept mostly in check by the Griffons and was limited by foul trouble. McHenry, averaging 12.5 points per game, picked up three fouls in the first half and finished with nine points and three assists.

McHenry in joined in averaging in double-figures by Nicole Gloor (10.8/g), Amy Briggs (10.2/g) and Allie Norton (10.0/g). As a team, they shoot 49% from the field, 43% from beyond the arc with 6.3 three-pointers per game and 71% at the foul line.

The Lions (6-1; 0-0 MIAA) have reeled off six straight wins since a season opening loss to the University of Mary (N.D.). Their most recent victory came last Saturday when they downed Drury (Mo.) University at home 62-59 behind 15 points from Jolee Sharp.

Transfers Shonte Clay (9.9/g) and Sharp (9.6/g) led the Lions in scoring as they average 45% from the field, 33% from outside and 73% from the line.

Truman swept the season series with the Lions last year winning in Joplin 63-55 and 72-53 in Kirksville. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five meetings with Missouri Southern. The Lions last win in Kirksville was December 3, 2008 (71-65).

McHenry scored 22 and 18 points in last year's games against the Lions.

#Trending:

For the second straight week, Truman has received votes in the latest WBCA/USA Today Division II Coaches Poll.  The Bulldogs received votes in three polls last season. The last national ranking was in 1999-2000 season.

Truman is ranked in the top three in seven MIAA stat categories entering the week. They are first in three-point field goal percentage (.427) and defensive rebounds (28.0), second in field goal percentage (.489), free throw percentage (.757), rebounding margin (+12.0) and three-point defense (.241). They are third in scoring (75.6).

This was the fifth time and second straight year Truman women's basketball has started the season 5-0. The three other times were 2007-08 (Won first five), 1999-2000 (Won first five) and 1998-99 (Won first seven).

In the last two years of conference play, the Bulldogs are 21-22 while the previous four years (2006-2010) they were 21-54.

Truman has a scoring margin of +16.5 points. Two of the six games, both against Missouri Western have been decided by less than 10 points with each team winning one.

The Bulldogs are shooting 49% from the field, 43% from three (6.3/g) and 71% from the line while outrebounding opponents by nearly 10 per contest. Opponents are shooting 27% from three (3.0/g) and 41% overall.

Truman has shot above 50% in a half at least once in all six games. Their highest shooting percentage in a period was 63.2% (12-of-19) in a loss to Missouri Western last time out. Opponents have shot above 50% in a half three times, all by the Griffons with the highest being 57% (12-of-21) also in the last game.

Jennifer Conway and Allie Norton have led the team in scoring twice this year through six games. Conway's has been the last two games where she has scored 21 of her 29 points during the first half. She made 10-of-17 shots in the first half and 4-of-7 in the second half in the last two games.  

2011-12 Truman Season Milestones:

• The 17 regular season wins was the most for the program since the team won 17 during the 1999-2000 season. The school record for wins is 22 set by the 1998-99 team.
• The 11 MIAA wins was one better than the previous season, with two fewer games conference games played. They finished with the highest conference winning percentage (.555) since a .667 (12-6) during the 99-00 campaign. It was the first time in a dozen years the Bulldogs finished above .500 in conference play.
• Truman's 37.9% three-point field goal percentage was the second highest percentage in school history. Only the 39.0% in 1989-90, the third year the 3-point shot was in-play was higher.
• The 28.5% opponent three-point field goal percentage is the lowest allowed by the Bulldogs since the arc came into play in 1987-88.
• The Bulldogs held opponents to a school record 60.6 points per game the previous low allowed was 62.2 points per game in the 1981-82 season.
• The 362 (13.4/g) turnovers were the fewest in school history. The previous low was 407 (15.0/g) in 27 games in the 2009-10 season.
• The sixth place finish by the Bulldogs in conference play was the highest since they finished fourth in the 1999-2000 season.
• Allie Norton's 40.1% shooting from beyond the arc broke the Truman freshman mark previously held by Angie Gum set in the 1987-88 season (26-of-67/38.8%). The 40.1% was seventh all-time in single-season three-point shooting.
• Becka McHenry's 145 assists last season was third in the Truman single-season rankings bettering Amy Eagan's 144 in 1997-98 and 15 off Eagan's 1998-99 total of 160. She did break Susan Theroff's junior class record of 140 set in 1989-90.
• Graduating senior Breanna Daniels had an 88.1% free throw shooting percentage last season and finished sixth in the single-season rankings with a minimum of 30 made (37-of-42).
• Daniels finished her Truman career with 1,213 points, good for eighth all-time in Truman history.
• The Bulldogs set tied a single-game record last year with 15 three-pointers made and set a new record with a .625 three-point shooting percentage (15-of-24) in a victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) University.
• Truman eclipsed 100 points for the first time since 2007 with a 108-55 victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) on Nov. 19, 2011.
• Becka McHenry recorded the first triple-double since Amy Eagan in 1999 when she had 14 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against Pittsburg (Kan.) State University.

Bulldog Tip-Ins:

·         Truman is 21-10 in non-conference games since Coach Michael Smith took over the program in 2008

·         Truman averaged 70.9 points and shot 41% from the field, 37% from the arc and 71% from the line last season. In 2010-11 the team averaged 62.7 points shooting 39% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 66% from the free throw line.

·         The Bulldogs finished 10-4 in Pershing Arena last season and are 30-23 at home under Coach Smith.

·         Over the past two years, Truman is 10-12 on the road in conference play. From 2000-2010, the Bulldogs were just 15 and 75 (.200) in league road tilts.

·         Truman led at the half in 18 games last year and won 14. They have trailed the other eight games and won three of them.

·         The Bulldogs won the battle of the boards in 15 games last season with the largest margin of 19 against Lincoln. They had a double-digit advantage in rebounds in nine games.

·         Three Bulldogs topped 20 points 11 times last season. Becka McHenry scored 24 points in three games and had six last year. Nicole Gloor also had 24 points in the win against Lincoln and had two games over 20 points. Conway had three over 20 last season.

·         Truman had six different lead them in scoring. McHenry had 10 games while Conway (5), Gloor (5), Daniels (5), Jenny Dorman and Allie Norton led in one game.

·         Six Bulldogs recorded double-doubles last season. Jennifer Conway had three while Breanna Daniels had two, Allie Norton, Nicole Gloor, Megan Sharpe and Becka McHenry had one apiece.

·         Becka McHenry recorded the first triple-double for the Bulldogs since December 1, 1998 when she scored 14 and had 10 assists and 10 rebounds. It was first in the MIAA since Missouri Western's Tiffany Davis recorded on in 2006 against Washburn (18p, 14,r, 11a).

Up Next:

Truman will be off all of next week as final exams take place on campus. The team will return to action in the state of California on Monday, December 17 by facing California Baptist University. They will then play Vanguard (Calif.) College on Tuesday, December 18.  It will be the first trip to the Golden State since a tournament played in San Diego in 1993.