Conference Schedule Opens Thursday For Truman Women's Basketball

Truman Women's Basketball Notes (December 3-5, 2015)
Twitter: @TrumanAthletics || @TrumanStateWBB || #BewareofDog || @TrumanGameday

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Game #8: Truman (5-2) vs. Rockhurst (4-1)
When: Thursday, December 3, 2015 || 5:30 p.m.
Where: Kirksville, Mo. || Pershing Arena
Live Stats || Live Stats (Media) || Live Video (GLVCSN) || Live Audio (KRES)
2015-16 Stats: Truman | Rockhurst

Game #9: Truman (5-2) vs. William Jewell (4-5)
When: Saturday, December 5, 2015 || 2:00 p.m
Where: Liberty, Missouri || Mabee Center
Live Stats || Live Stats (Media) || Live Video (GLVCSN) || Live Audio (KRES)
2015-16 Stats: Truman | William Jewell

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The third season of Great Lakes Valley Conference action will begin this week as Truman will entertain Rockhurst University on Thursday night then travel to William Jewell on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs are 5-2 overall and winners of their last three games. The team has been stout defensively as they have held opponents to under 60 points in six of the seven games played this season and have a defensive scoring average of 48.6 points allowed per game, good for third in the NCAA Division II National rankings. Last year, Truman held opponents under 60 points in a total of seven out of 27 games.

Seniors Michalina Tomczak and Courtney Strait lead the Bulldogs in scoring through the first seven played. Tomczak is averaging 13 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while adding 18 blocks. Her 78 career blocks is currently fifth in Truman history and she is four back of former Bulldog Sarah Sommer for fourth all-time. Tomczak has been in double figures in five of the seven games this season.

Strait is averaging nine points per game and is second on the team in both rebounds (4.1/g) and assists (15). She is Truman's top three-point threat with 10 out of 28 attempts (35.7%) and is one of the leaders among floor time at just under 25 minutes per game.

Senior Kasey Gassensmith (7.3 ppg/2.3 rpg) and sophomore Rachel Steinhoff (6.6 ppg/3.7 apg) are the other two Truman starters that have been introduced in all seven thus far. Gassensmith is shooting 48% from the field while Steinhoff has a 2.60 assist/turnover ratio, good for sixth in the GLVC and 41^st nationally.

As a team, Truman is shooting 44% overall and 27% from three. At the line, the Bulldogs have gotten to the charity stripe 120 times and have hit 94 (78.3%). They are averaging 65.6 points per game. On the defensive end, Truman has limited opponents to 48.6 points per game with 27 blocked shots, a 32% shooting percentage and 23% from three.

#TSUvsRU (2015 Box Score)
Truman has won the last six meetings with Rockhurst dating back to 2006 and are 7-1 all-time against the Hawks in Pershing Arena. Last year, Truman won 72-66 in Kirksville behind Allie Norton's 23 points and Ashley Hartwig's 12. Kendall Hart scored 20 points for Rockhurst and Mary Dineen added 15, going 3-of-14 from the field.

The Hawks are 4-1 on the young year with all four wins at home. They defeated Avila 86-54, Wayne State (Neb.) 68-64, Northwest Missouri 64-49 and Saint Mary 71-53 before falling on the road to Lincoln (Mo.) 50-49 last Saturday. Lauren Meyers scored 12 and Dineen added 11 in the first loss of the year.

Rockhurst is second behind the Bulldogs in scoring defense at 54 points allowed per game and first in the GLVC in turnover margin at +7.8 per game. They are second in three-pointers made per game with eight and shoot 28.4% from downtown. Dineen leads the team in scoring with 16 points per game and was the GLVC Player of the Week following a 24-point performance against #24 Wayne State on Nov. 18.

#TSUvsWJC (2015 Box Score)
The Bulldogs will look to win their fifth straight over the Cardinals when the two clash on Saturday afternoon in Liberty. William Jewell will open the week with a road game at Quincy on Thursday night and enters the week with a 4-5 overall record.

Allie Norton's buzzer beater broke a 58-all score and gave Truman a thrilling 61-58 victory over the Cardinals in Pershing Arena last season. Norton was held in check most of the night and was limited to eight points. Courtney Strait was the offensive star for the Bulldogs with 19 points and Michalina Tomczak notched a double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds while adding four blocks. Hayli Jo Smith scored 18 points for the Cardinals.

Jewell is third in the league in offensive rebounds at 13.6/game and fourth in three-pointers made at 6.8 per game. The Cardinals were one of the first teams to play in 2015 as they started the year on Oct. 30 in the Conference Commissioner's Association Tip-Off Classic with three games. They went 1-2 in the tournament with a win over New York Tech 68-59 and losses to Alaska-Anchorage (90-63) and Cal-State Dominguez Hills (68-63). Outside of their last two wins over NAIA opponents, the Cardinals defeated Upper Iowa on November 22 79-63.

Maddie Nelson leads the team in scoring at 11 points per game while the team averages 66.6 points for and 68.3 points against this season. They shoot 37% from the field, 32% from three and average nine steals per game.

Truman Last Two Games:
Truman 74, Upper Iowa 48 (Box Score) –The Bulldogs outscored the Peacocks 23-10 in the second quarter while Michalina Tomczak recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds while adding six blocked shots in Truman's win over Upper Iowa. Tomczak etched her name into the Truman record book with a 9-of-11 (81.8%) shooting percentage, tying for fourth all-time in single-game history.

Truman 61, Culver-Stockton 42 (Box Score) – This time, Truman held an opponent to only four second quarter points and 12 total points between the second and third quarters as they pulled away for a 61-42 victory over Culver-Stockton. The Wildcats were receiving votes in the latest NAIA poll prior to the game. Tomczak added 17 points and a pair of blocks and Cassidy Clark added a dozen on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. The Bulldogs hit just one three-pointer on the day, a triple from Kasey Gassensmith that tied the game at nine in the first quarter.

Up Next:
Truman will take finals week off from competitive action next week and will be back in Pershing Arena on Monday, December 14 for a key GLVC game against Quincy (Ill.) University. The Bulldogs and Hawks each defended their home court last season. After Monday's game, the team will head to Hawaii for a pair of games.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Allie Norton: G; 5' 6"; Senior

#30 Kasey Gassensmith: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#42 Ashley Hartwig: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#32 Rachel Steinhoff: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#23 Courtney Strait: G; 5' 10"; Senior

#44 Michalina Tomczak: C; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

#34 Cassidy Clark: C; 6' 2"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#12 Allie Norton
: 5' 6"; Senior
: G

#30 Kasey Gassensmith
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#42 Ashley Hartwig
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

#32 Rachel Steinhoff
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#23 Courtney Strait
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

#44 Michalina Tomczak
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: C

#34 Cassidy Clark
: 6' 2"; Junior
: C