Tim Barcus - University Photographer

Women's Basketball 1/19/2016 3:13:00 PM

Women's Basketball Weekly Notes: vs. UMSL (Jan. 21; 5:30 p.m.) vs. Maryville (Jan. 23 1:00 p.m.)

Truman Women's Basketball Notes (January 14-16, 2016)
Twitter: @TrumanAthletics || @TrumanStateWBB || #BewareofDog || @TrumanGameday

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Game #18: Truman (11-6, 5-2 GLVC) vs. Missouri-St. Louis (7-8, 2-5 GLVC)
When: Thursday, January 21, 2016 || 5:30 p.m.
Where: Kirksville, Mo. || Gen. John J. Pershing Arena
Live Stats || Live Stats (Media) || Live Video (GLVCSN) || Live Audio (KRES)
2015-16 Stats: Truman || Missouri-St. Louis || GLVC || NCAA

Game #19: Truman (11-6, 5-2 GLVC) vs. Maryville (8-6, 2-5 GLVC)
When: Saturday, January 23, 2016 || 1:00 p.m.
Where: Kirksville, Mo. || Gen. John J. Pershing Arena
Live Stats || Live Stats (Media) || Live Video (GLVCSN) || Live Audio (KRES)
2015-16 Stats: Truman || Maryville || GLVC || NCAA

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman Women's Basketball team returns home to host a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division opponents this week. The Bulldogs will welcome Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. and Maryville University on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs (11-6, 5-2 GLVC) will be looking for separation within the division as Truman, Quincy and Drury are among the leaders while Maryville and UMSL both at 2-5 in the league, are looking for some traction heading into the second half of conference play. Quincy leads the division with a 6-1 record with their only loss coming at the hands of the Bulldogs. Truman and Drury are tied for second, one game back at 5-2. The division champion earns one of the top two seeds into the postseason tournament and with that a guaranteed first-round bye.

Truman split two games on the road against East Division opponents last week. The Bulldogs suffered their worst loss of the year on Thursday as they fell to Bellarmine 92-74. After a day off, Truman bounced back and turned in their strongest defensive performance in conference action by limiting Southern Indiana to only 42 points and a 60-42 victory in Evansville earning the weekend split.

Following their non-conference double-overtime win over the Bulldogs on January 2^nd, the Missouri-St. Louis Tritons have dropped three of their last four games to the GLVC East. The Tritons lost by four at Saint Joseph's 75-71, 64-55 at Indianapolis, defeated Wisconsin-Parkside 67-61 at home and lost to nationally-ranked Lewis 59-45, also in St. Louis. There other league win came against Maryville back on December 12, 74-61.

The Saints have dropped their last three games entering Thursday night's game at Quincy. Maryville lone win during their four-game stretch against the GLVC East was against Indianapolis by a score of 82-74. Maryville has lost by double-figures to their last three opponents, by 12 to Saint Joseph's, 17 to Lewis and 13 to UW-Parkside. MU's other conference win was over Missouri S&T on December 3 in Rolla, 74-64.

About The Bulldogs:
Truman is sixth in all of NCAA Division II in scoring defense at allowing 53.3 points per game this season. In conference only stats, the Bulldogs are second in the league in defense at allowing 57.6 points per game, they are behind Lewis (52.1/g) as the only two schools in the GLVC holding opponents under 60 per contest. Truman has held five of their seven league opponents under 60 points and 13 of their 17 foes overall under 60. Only once in Truman Women's Basketball history have the Bulldogs held an opponent scoring average under 60 and that was the 2012-13 campaign where the average was 57.1 points per game.

The Bulldogs are first in the conference in blocked shots per game at 4.47 and have 76 blocks thus far. That single-season total is already tied for eighth most in Bulldog history and is on pace to shatter the school record for blocks of 103 set during the 2007-08 season. Centers Michalina Tomczak and Cassidy Clark have accounted for 53 of the 76 blocks with Tomczak currently tied for eighth in individual single-season blocks with 37.

Rebounding has been another key component to Truman's success this year. The Bulldogs are second in the conference in rebounding margin (+7.4/g) and in defensive rebounds (28.06/g). Truman has held opponents to 6.5 points per game in second chance scoring and have more than 100 total rebounds than their opponents this season.

The Bulldogs have held opponents to under 50 points in nine games this year. The program benchmark for most games holding an opponent under 50 goes back to the first year 1972-73 when they held the opposing teams to under 50 in 10 of the 15 games played. Truman has had 10 seasons in which they didn't hold anyone under 50 points in a game and another nine, including last year where it occurred just once in a season.

The four players that have started all 17 games are averaging within three points of one another. Tomczak leads the group at 11.2 points per game and is the only Bulldog ranked in the top 25 in the GLVC in scoring at 23. Courtney Strait is on the cusp of double-digits at 9.9 points per game and is the team leader in three-pointers with 23.
Rachel Steinhoff is averaging 9.1 points overall and leads the team in scoring during conference games at 11.4 points per game. Steinhoff is ranked in the league in assists per game (3.2/12^th) and assist/turnover ratio (1.38/9^th).

Kasey Gassensmith is the fourth regular starter this year and averages 8.6 points per outing and is second on the team in triples at 15. She leads the team in three-point field goal percentage making 15-of-34 shots (44%). She is also among the leaders in free throw shooting at 81.8% but has been to the line the fewest of the other four starters.
Four other players have taken the fifth and final spot in the starting lineup. Cassidy Clark has started 10 games and is averaging 6.1 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per contest. Ashley Hartwig has started four, including both last week, and is averaging 8.8 points over the last five games played. Brooke Bailey and Sam Andrews have also made spot starts.

Bailey, Mackenzie Jerks and Rachel Edmundson are the three freshmen that have received significant playing time this season. Bailey is averaging 12.1 minutes per game and 13.6 in league games. Jerks has 15 assists and 13 steals while averging 2.6 points per game. Edmundson has averaged 2.9 points per game and has been in the scoring column in the last six games.

The Bulldogs average 63.6 points per game on the offensive end with a scoring margin of +10.3. The team shoots 40.6% overall from the field, 29.5% from three with 4.17 three-pointers per game and 74.7% from the foul line.

#TSUvsUMSL (2015-16 Box Score)
It will be a rematch from 20 days ago when the two teams played a non-conference game in St. Louis. The Tritons held on for a 61-60 double-overtime victory over the Bulldogs which evened the all-time series between the two schools at 17 wins apiece.

Kasey Gassensmith led Truman with 14 points against the Tritons on January 2^nd while Courtney Strait and Rachel Steinhoff each logged over 40 minutes and scored 11 points apiece.
Kelly Kunkel was on the floor 48 of the 50 minutes and scored 11 for the Tritons. Shea O'Brien hit seven of 10 shots for 14 points to lead UMSL in the win.

The Bulldogs hold a 9-6 advantage in games played in Kirksville including a 58-53 win in Pershing Arena last season.

In the five games since the two teams resumed playing regularly against one another, the average margin of victory is 7.8 points with three games decided by five points or less. Truman had a 15-point win when the two schools met for the first time in 18 years back in 2014 and UMSL notched a 14-point win in St. Louis last January.

Kelly Kunkel is the only Triton is average in double figure scoring at 12.3 points per game. She is joined in conference games by Jordan Fletcher at 13.7 points per game. UMSL shoots 40.2% overall from the field and 28.8% from three while scoring 63.3 points per game. They give up 59.7 per night and opponents shoot 39.4% overall and 25.7% from three.

Kunkel not only leads the team in three-pointers made with 20 but also rebounding average 5.1 per game. Sydney Bloch paces the Tritons in assists and steals with 3.5 dimes per game and 2.1 picks per contest.

#TSUvsMU (2014-15 Game 1 Box Score | 2014-15 Game 2 Box Score)
Seven of the eight games played between the Saints and Bulldogs have occurred since 2010 with Truman owning a 6-2 all-time record against Maryville. The two teams met in the 2014 GLVC Championship game with the Bulldogs prevailing for their first league title 58-45 in Evansville, Ind.

Maryville's two wins against Truman came in Pershing Arena in their last two visits. They knocked down 18 three-pointers in a 90-84 win in 2014 and won 72-64 in their visit last January.
The Bulldogs got the better of the Saints in their last outing in February.

Michalina Tomczak scored 17 points and added nine rebounds while Courtney Strait had a double-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds in Truman's 78-72 overtime win in St. Louis. Alex Wolf led the Saints with 18 points and eight boards. The score was tied six times and the lead exchanged hands 11 times in Truman's win.

Maryville has been a streaking team this year. After winning five of their first six, they lost five of their last eight games, including three straight. Alex Hillyer is eighth in the conference in scoring at 15.6 points per game and is scoring 16.7 points in league games. Alli Ringering (12.2ppg) and Stephanie Sherwood (10.1ppg) join Hillyer in double-figure scoring while Alex Wolf is less than 10 points per game (9.9ppg) and first on the team in field goal percentage at 52.9%.

The Saints are fifth in the conference in scoring offense at 71.1 points per game but 15^th in scoring defense at allowing 67.3 points per game. They are first in free throw shooting (76.6%) but near the bottom of the league in field goal defense (41.7%) three-point defense (33.0%) and defensive rebounds (24.2/g).
Maryville will play at Quincy on Thursday night.

News & Notes:

Senior Courtney Strait became the 25^th player in Truman history to play in 100 career games. She is on pace for career record for games played is 112 shared by Carol Jarrard (1978-82) and Allie Norton (2011-15) with 11 games left in the regular season. Strait has started 46 of the 100 games played thus far.

Strait is on the Truman career charts in three-pointers made (133/T7^th), free throws made (265/8^th) and free throw percentage (.877/1^st) and is 22 points away from becoming the 20^th Bulldogs to score 1,000 points in her career. She will overtake Amy Briggs for seventh alone in three-pointers made with her next one and pass Becka McHenry with two made free throws.

Michalina Tomczak is moving up the blocked shots charts in both season and career. Her 37 blocks are eighth in single-season top 10 while her 97 career swats are fourth best and only two behind Jennifer Conway (2009-13) for third place. Georgia Mueller owns both the season and career block record at 71 (2008) and 195 (2005-09) respectively.

As a team, Truman has 76 total blocks. The Bulldogs sit atop the GLVC in blocked shots per game at 4.26 per game. At that pace, the Bulldogs would be atop the single-season record in blocks per game as the previous record was 3.6 per game set in 2008. The single-season record, aided by Georgia Mueller's 71 was 103 also in 2008.

After blocked shots, the Bulldog defense is putting up some historic numbers. The 53.3 scoring average is the lowest allowed by a Truman team to date, the school record is 57.1 points in 2013 while number 10 on the top 10 lowest points allowed list is 66.0 set last season. The defensive field goal and three-point shooting percentage are also currently well ahead of the single season records.

Under the new quarter system, put in place this year for Women's Basketball. The Bulldogs are averaging 15.9 points per quarter while allowing 13.3. Truman has scored 20 points or more in a quarter 12 times and has given up 20 in a 10-minute span on seven occasions. On the flip side, the Bulldogs have not scored 10 points in a quarter five times and have held opponents less than 10 points in 16 separate quarters.

The most points scored in a single quarter are 29 against Central Christian and 21 by Missouri Southern. The fewest points scored was six against Missouri Southern and two by Illinois Springfield.

Truman has scored over 282 points in both the first and second quarters but dipped to 236 in the third. In the fourth, Truman has scored 271 points and has outscored opponents 271-236 in the final quarter. The biggest quarter scoring discrepancy is the second where the Bulldogs have nearly outscored their opponents by 100 points (282-188)

In games decided by five points or less, the Bulldogs are 2-1. In all games, in the last five minutes Truman is shooting 78.7% from the foul line while opponents are shooting 65.0% from the stripe.

Last Week's Recap:
Bellarmine 92, Truman 74 (Box Score) –The Knights led by only five last in the third quarter as every Bellarmine run was answered by a Bulldog push in the GLVC road game. Bellarmine caught fire in the fourth quarter as they connected on 11-of-14 overall field goal attempts and five of six from three to blitz the 'Dogs for 28 points in the quarter and cruise to victory. Overall, Bellarmine hit 11 times from downtown and shot 61% from three to earn the victory over the Bulldogs. Sarah Galvin scored 23 points, the most allowed by an individual against Truman this season. All five starters scored in double-figures for the Bulldogs, who shot 46% overall and 50% from three with Ashley Hartwig and Rachel Steinhoff scoring 15 apiece.

Truman 60, Southern Indiana 42 (Box Score) – The Truman defense turned it up a notch in the second half as they limited the Screaming Eagles to seven points each quarter and pulled away for the win. The Bulldog bench outscored USI 22-0 as nine players scored for Truman. Michalina Tomczak led the balanced attack with 10 points and added seven rebounds. Truman hit a season-high nine three-pointers and made all seven free throw attempts. It was the lowest point total allowed by the Bulldogs in a GLVC game and lowest in a conference game since a 2013 home tilt with Central Oklahoma when they held the Bronchos to 39 points.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs will play four straight away from Pershing Arena starting with road games at Missouri S&T and nationally-ranked Drury. Truman will be in Rolla on Thursday night for a 5:30 start against the Miners and in Springfield on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip against the 19^th ranked Lady Panthers.

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Players Mentioned

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

#40 Sam Andrews: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#02 Brooke Bailey: G; 5' 6"; Redshirt Freshman

#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

#01 Mackenzie Jerks: G; 5' 8"; Freshman

#31 Rachel Edmundson: F; 6' 0"; Freshman

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

Players Mentioned

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

#40 Sam Andrews
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

#02 Brooke Bailey
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Freshman
: 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

#01 Mackenzie Jerks
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: G

#31 Rachel Edmundson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: F

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