Bulldogs Use Late Half Run To Pull Away From McKendree

Box Score
Truman (Mo.) 81 (9-4; 3-2 GLVC)
Leading Scorer: Courtney Strait, 24 points
McKendree University (Ill.) 66 (6-6; 1-3 GLVC)
Leading Scorer: Liz Gilman, 15 points

Highlight: Truman uses a 13-0 run late in first half to break open game that featured nine lead changes and three ties to that point. Bulldogs win third straight in conference and 21st straight at home.

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Sophomore Courtney Strait turned the key to the Bulldog offense on Saturday afternoon as she sparked the team with 24 points off the bench in a 81-66 victory over McKendree (Ill.) University. Truman picked up their third straight win the GLVC play and 21st at home.

The game was a nip/tuck affair through the first 15 minutes with the teams exchanging the lead nine times during that span with three lead changes.

Following a basket by McKendree's Brittany Willis to tie the game at 26 apiece, untied it for good with a basket on Truman's next possession. A turnover by McKendree led to a Kasey Gassensmith make and a four-point lead during a 13-0 spurt by the Bulldogs to pull away.

Amy Briggs continued the run with one of her five three-pointers on the night and she finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists to cap off a big scoring week. She notched a career-high 23 points on Thursday and was 10-of-13 from outside the arc in those two games.

Not to be outdone, Strait was just as hot from long range making five of her own three-point attempts for 24 points while adding six rebounds and four assists. Bianca Szafarowicz was the third Bulldog in double-figures with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Truman lit up the arc for the second straight game going 13-of-24 from three and finished the two game week with 28 triples on 46 shots (60.8%). They had 10 more treys than McKendree, who lost their fourth straight.
Liz Gilman led four Bearcats in double-figures with 15 points.

Truman will put their 21-game home court winning streak on the line when they face the red-hot Missouri-St. Louis Tritons on Thursday night. The Tritons had won 10 straight until a 67-60 home loss to defending league champion Lewis (Ill.) on Saturday afternoon. Truman and Missouri-St. Louis will get things started at 5:30 p.m. in Kirksville on Thursday.

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