Women's Basketball 3/6/2013 4:14:00 PM

Bulldogs Head To KC For Rematch With Emporia State

Truman Women's Basketball Friday, March 8 vs. Emporia State (Kansas City, Mo. 2:15 PM)
Truman Game Notes	Web Audio (104.7 FM KRES)
Emporia State Web Site	Live Stats
Tournament Bracket
MIAA Standings	Watch Live (America One)

Game Preview:
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Coming off a 65-56 first round victory in the MIAA postseason tournament, the fifth seeded Truman Bulldogs will take on fourth seeded Emporia (Kan.) State in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. The winner will advance to the semifinals on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. against the winner of #9 Northwest Missouri and #1 Washburn tilt.

The Bulldogs (20-7) got 46 points from three seniors in the first round victory over Southwest Baptist (Mo.) on Tuesday night. Becka McHenry notched her second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Jennifer Conway scored a season-high 16 points. Megan Sharpe added nine with six boards.

Truman led by four at the half and by as many as 14 until SBU went on a 13-2 run to close the gap. Conway's late shot clock basket and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch thwarted the Bearcat rally and preserved the 20th win of the season. It is only the third time a Truman women's basketball team has won 20 games in a season, the last being the 1998-99 campaign.

McHenry earned her second, second team all-MIAA honor and leads the Bulldogs in scoring (13.0), rebounding (6.0) and assists (3.9). She was joined on the all-conference team by honorable mention selection Allie Norton. One of the nation's top three-point shooters, Norton averages 46.1% from outside and has 70 three-pointers on the season.

The Lady Hornets (18-8) have won 11 of their last 13 games and leapfrogged the Bulldogs for the fourth seed and “free pass” to Kansas City. In the final week of the regular season, Emporia defeated rival and conference champion Washburn 61-48 and won on the road 66-52 against Pittsburg (Kan.) State to earn the free pass.

Rachel Hanf, Laura Patrick and Melissa Quick were all named to the all-conference team for the Lady Hornets. Hanf is second on the team in scoring and rebounding at 12.5 and 5.3 respectively and was a second-team pick. Patrick leads the Lady Hornets in scoring at 14.6 points and has made 66 three-pointers this season to garner third-team accolades. While Quick shoots 51% from the field and leads the team in rebounding at 6.6 per game.

In the only meeting this season against the Lady Hornets, Truman handed Emporia State their worst loss of the season. The January 12th game in Pershing Arena was just a three-point affair at half but Truman blitzed the Lady Hornets by 17 points in the second half, led by as many as 26 and won going away 78-58.

McHenry led Truman in scoring with 18 points and Nicole Gloor chipped in 17. Patrick led ESU with 18 points but just four in the second half while Hanf was held to just two first half points. The Bulldogs shot 62% in the second half and out rebounded the Lady Hornets 34-25.
The Bulldogs are the top three-point shooting team in Division II at 42.2% while Emporia State has the second best three-point defense in the conference holding opponents to just 29% during games from three.

Tournament History
This is the third straight year the Truman women have qualified for the conference tournament and matches the 1998, 1999 and 2000 teams as the only other three-straight tournament appearances in school history. It is the 12th overall tournament appearance for the Bulldogs dating back to 1988.

All tournament games were played in Kansas City from 2003 until 2012 when the format changed this year with the addition to 12 teams instead of eight. Prior to 03, the entire tournament was played on campus sites.

The Bulldogs have played Emporia State more times in the MIAA tournament than any other program with this being their fifth meeting. The Lady Hornets won 88-73 in 1998, 84-64 in 1999, Truman won 77-70 in the semifinals in 2008 but then lost last year on a buzzer beater in the quarterfinals 64-63.

The most points by a Bulldog in the MIAA tournament is 21 held by Kelli Kreuser vs. Southwest Baptist in 2000 matched on Tuesday night by Becka McHenry also against SBU. McHenry tied the single-game free throw make category with eight. She made eight against ESU last year and Jennifer Fisher made eight against Southwest Baptist in 2000.

Truman is 3-11 in all-time MIAA conference tournament games.

Coaches:
The Bulldogs are under fifth-year head coach Michael Smith, who has an overall record of 68-67. He is fourth all-time in victories at Truman and is 44-56 in conference games. Smith was previously at Division I, Arkansas-Little Rock is a graduate of Central Methodist (Mo.) and a graduate assistant at Northwest Missouri State.

Jory Collins is in his second season as head coach of Emporia State after leading the Lady Hornets to a 20-9 record and a trip to the MIAA Tournament Championship game last season. He was an assistant coach for ten seasons at ESU prior to becoming the head coach. Jory is 2-2 against Michael Smith and the Bulldogs.

Senior Spotlight:
Three seniors, Jennifer Conway, Becka McHenry and Megan Sharpe, have been part of the resurgence of Truman Women's Basketball. The trio has won 60 games entering the quarterfinals and over the past four seasons has the most conference wins during that span of any Bulldog team.

Conway has started 79 of the last 105 games played in her Truman career and can finish 12th all-time in rebounding and third in blocked shots. She has averaged over eight points per game while pulling down five rebounds and had a career high 23 points against Pittsburg (Kan.) State on January 25, 2012. Her single-game career high rebounding mark was 14 on two occasions with the last coming on February 12, 2011 against Nebraska-Omaha. Conway was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a sophomore.

McHenry has started the last 78 games and 93 of her 108 overall contests in the Bulldog uniform. She is just the second Truman player to score over 1100 career points, pull down over 500 rebounds and dish out over 300 assists in her career. McHenry recorded the first triple-double since Amy Eagan when she had 14 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against Pittsburg State in 2012. She has a single-game high of 24 points scored on four separate occasions and was a second team all-conference selection last year.

Sharpe has been a two-sport standout for the Bulldogs Basketball and Volleyball programs. She was the school's first, four-time All-American on the volleyball court and has played in 81 games, making 31 starts for the basketball team. She has averaged five points and four rebounds per game and has a single-game high of 13 points scored on two occasions and pulled down 15 rebounds against Northwest Missouri in 2011.

Regional Poll:
The Bulldogs dropped from fifth to ninth after suffering two losses in the final week of the regular season. The top four remained unchanged with Washburn, Central Missouri, Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) and Minnesota State Mankato. Arkansas Tech moved up to number five. Six and seven were Augustana (S.D.) and Southwestern Oklahoma State while Northeastern State, Truman and Emporia rounded out the top 10.

The top eight in the region comprised of the MIAA, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Great America Conference may be selected to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

The NSIC and the MIAA tournament winners receive an automatic berth into the field while the GAC does not have an AQ leaving six of the eight berths at-large. Truman last made the NCAA Tournament in 1999.

WBCA/USA Today Poll:
Truman tumbled out of the Top 25 but still received votes in their 11th poll of the season. The Bulldogs were at number 25 but after two straight losses received just five votes in this week's survey. The Bulldogs were ranked in three polls this season. Five MIAA schools are getting votes in the poll with Washburn (Kan.) in at nine and the University of Central Missouri at 13 Fort Hays (Kan.) State and Northeastern (Okla.) State are received mentions in this week's survey.

This was the 11th poll this season that Truman received votes. The highest ranking for the Bulldogs all-time was 14th on January 25, 1999.

Season Milestone Watch:

The Bulldogs 20 wins are the most since the 1998-99 season. That team would finish 22-9 with three postseason victories (one in the MIAA tournament and two in the NCAA regional).
The mark for the fewest losses in a season is nine set in 1978-79, 1998-99 and 1999-00. Truman has seven losses entering the week.
Truman's 43.5% shooting percentage is sixth all-time and highest since the 2007-08 team (43.7%). The record for highest shooting percentage is 45.4 percent set during the 1998-99 campaign.
The team is first in three-pointers made with 200 through 27 games while the 2007-08 team hit 199 triples in 29 games played.
The overall three-point shooting percentage is tops right now all-time at 42.2% with the next closest being 39% set during the 1989-90 campaign.
The 76.1% free throw shooting is second all-time trailing the 2009-10 team's 77.9%.
The 56.9 points allowed is the fewest since last year's 60.6 and the 12.0 scoring margin is also tops from last year's 10.4 points.
Allie Norton has the top three-point shooting percentage in a season at 46.1% ahead of Kathy Patterson's 1990-91 total of 44.9%. Norton's 70 triples are sixth in a season with Susan Theroff holding the record with 76 during the 1990-91 campaign.
Norton and Courtney Strait are threatening the Bulldog record for free throw percentage with a minimum of 30 made. Strait's 91.2% is second while Norton's 89.1% is fifth in a single-season. Laura Joya's 91.5% set in 2009-10 is the record.

#Trending:

Truman remained first in the national statistics in three-point field goal percentage (42.2%). They are 16th in overall field goal percentage (43.5%) and fourth in free throw shooting (76.5%.)
The Bulldogs are first among all NCAA schools in three-point shooting now ahead of Division I's Duke (N.C.) with their 41.7%. Just three schools nationally are shooting above 40% from three with the Bulldogs followed by the Blue Devils and Division II's Winona (Minn.) St. at 40.3%
Truman is 21st in the national rankings in scoring margin (+12.2) and 18th in three-pointers per game (7.5/g).
The Bulldogs have won a school-record 15 straight games in Pershing Arena dating back to February 1, 2012. The previous record for consecutive home wins was nine set during the 2007-08 season.
Truman has won four MIAA games by a scoring margin of 20 or more points. They have seven games of a margin of 20 or more points in conference over the last two years and 26 in the 30 years of MIAA Women's Basketball (since 1982-83).
Becka McHenry joined Amy Eagan as only the second Truman player to score over 1000 points (1117), have more than 400 rebounds (494) and dish out 300 assists (362). Eagan registered 1527 points, 643 boards and 529 assists from 1995-99.
Jennifer Conway moved to 12th Bulldog in career rebounds with 528. She is two blocks away from 100 for her career, which she is already third in Truman history.
Allie Norton leads the team with 70 three-pointers made while Amy Briggs is second with 53. Norton's 129 threes are seventh all-time in Bulldog career as a sophomore and her 43.2% from outside is currently the best all-time among Truman players with at least 50 made.
Becka McHenry has made 78 straight starts and Allie Norton has started 54 consecutive games. Jennifer Conway has started in 69 straight games she has been available for (missing three due to injury in the past two years). Bianca Szafarowicz has started 26 this year and 49 for her career and Nicole Gloor all 25 she has been available for and 38 for her career.
McHenry is listed in six conference statistical categories this week. She is third in assists (3.9/g), first in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and among the leaders in scoring, rebounding, free throw percentage and defensive rebounds.
Allie Norton is first in the league in three-point shooting percentage and her 46.6% is good for first overall in Division II. She is eighth among all Divisions with five Division I players, highlighted by Duke's Tricia Liston (50.4%) and two Division III players ahead of her.
Courtney Strait's 28 points against Mount Mercy was the most by a Bulldog since Georgia Mueller scored 29 against Missouri Western on Feb. 21, 2009 and the second most by a freshman since Mueller scored 29 against Upper Iowa in January 2006.
Amy Briggs has two of the team's three double-doubles this season. She had 14 points and 10 assists against Mount Mercy. McHenry had the other with 10 points and 11 rebounds against Pittsburg State.

Up Next:
The winner of Friday afternoon's game will face the winner of the Washburn (Kan.)/Northwest Missouri game that is being played prior to the Truman/Emporia State contest. The Bulldogs lost to Washburn 52-47 on January 16th and 72-65 to Northwest on March 1st.
The NCAA Division II Tournament Selection Show will be Sunday night at 9:00 p.m.

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