Women's Basketball Weekly Notes: at St. Joseph's/at Indianapolis

Truman Women's Basketball Notes (February 4-6, 2016)
Twitter: @TrumanAthletics || @TrumanStateWBB || #BewareofDog || @TrumanGameday

Media Version (PDF)

Game #22: Truman (14-7, 8-3 GLVC) vs. Saint Joseph's (14-7, 7-4 GLVC)
When: Thursday, February 4, 2016 || 5:30 p.m.
Where: Rensselaer, Ind. || Scharf Alumni Fieldhouse
Live Stats || Live Stats (Media) || Live Video (GLVCSN) || Live Audio (KRES)
2015-16 Stats: Truman || Saint Joseph's || GLVC || NCAA

Game #23: Truman (14-7, 8-3 GLVC) vs. Indianapolis (6-15, 4-7 GLVC)
When: Saturday, February 6, 2016 || 1:00 p.m. (EST)
Where: Indianapolis, Ind. || Nicoson Hall
Live Stats || Live Stats (Media) || Live Video (GLVCSN) || Live Audio (KRES)
2015-16 Stats: Truman || UINDY || GLVC || NCAA

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The final month of the regular season begins with Truman wrapping up their four-game road trip with a pair of games in Indiana. The Bulldogs will be at Saint Joseph's (Ind.) on Thursday night and at the University of Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon.

The next two weeks will see the GLVC West wrap up cross divisional games with the GLVC East and Truman will see three of the top four currently in the East standings. The Bulldogs are third in the West but only a game out of the first place tie between Quincy and Drury; they have a three-game lead on fourth place Rockhurst. The two division champions, plus the next two schools regardless of division will earn a first round bye into the GLVC Tournament. The next four top records will host a first round game.

Saint Joseph's is in third place in the East at 7-4 and have split their last six games since a five-game winning streak in January. The Bulldogs defeated SJC last year in Pershing Arena 60-54 and won in Rensselaer two years ago in overtime 89-79.

The University of Indianapolis is 6-15 this season but feature the top scorer in the GLVC in Princess German. The Greyhounds are 4-7 in the league and are fighting for top 12 spot. They will host the Quincy Lady Hawks on Thursday night. UINDY ended Truman's season last year in the first round of the GLVC Tournament, the Greyhounds took advantage of a cold shooting day by the Bulldogs and eliminated Truman from the tournament with a 72-51 victory in Kirksville.

Truman extended their winning streak to four games last Thursday at Missouri S&T but had it stopped on Saturday at the hands of #18 Drury. The Bulldogs won a tight defensive battle with the Lady Miners 51-42 on the road but the Lady Panthers of Drury connected on 12-of-24 three-pointers to end the streak by a 72-59 tally.

In Road Games:
Truman is 3-2 in GLVC road contests this year with wins at William Jewell, Southern Indiana and Missouri S&T and losses at Bellarmine and Drury. In the three wins, Truman has held their opponent to an average of 46 points while the two losses have seen the opposition score on average 82 points.

The team has gotten to the free throw line more than the home team (by six total free throws) and has shot the free throws better by a 74% average to their opponents 63.9% mark. However, the difference has been on the boards with Truman having a -6.4 rebounding margin in the five road games.

Rachel Steinhoff has been the points leader in road conference games at 11.8 points per game while also dishing out 17 assists to 10 turnovers. Michaline Tomczak average 10.8 points per game with 6.8 rebounds and has 12 blocks.

GLVC Thursday/Saturday Splits:
Truman is 3-2 on Thursday league games and 4-1 on Saturday tilts. Last week in this space we told you that Thursday games have been the higher scoring games than Saturday but the road trip was the opposite of what we wrote. Coming into last Thursday's game, the combine scoring was around 134.3 points while the game against Missouri S&T saw the two teams not even reaching 100 points (93). Saturday's game was 131 points with the average coming in being 118.

The Bulldogs shoot nearly 40% from the field on Thursdays (39.8%) but are 18-of-63 (28.6%) from long range. At the line, the Bulldogs have been at the line 43 more times than their opponent and shot 67% from the stripe and opponents shoot only 57.8% at the line. The foul count on Thursday games has been 93 against Truman, 119 for their opponents.

Truman had their four-game Saturday winning streak stopped at Drury this past weekend but still have a scoring margin of +10.2. The team shoots 42% overall, 37% (30-of-80) from the line and 73% from the free throw line. Truman has had 20 more free throw attempts in Saturday games and have had 10 fewer fouls called against them.

In Conference Games:
Truman is 8-3 in the GLVC with seven more league games remaining on the schedule. The Bulldogs have reached 10 conference wins in each of the last five seasons and have had a winning record in conference games the past four years. The school record for conference wins is 12 set in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

The four regular starters all average around 10 points per GLVC game. Rachel Steinhoff leads the group at 11.4 points followed by Courtney Strait (10.7), Michalina Tomczak (10.6) and Kasey Gassensmith (9.8). Truman has averaged 64.5 points while giving up 59.1 points in league games and have shot 41% overall, 34% from three and 70% at the free throw line.

Last Five Games:
The Bulldogs are 4-1 in their last five games. They have had a +4.8 turnover margin but are a -5.2 rebounding. The second quarter has been the biggest difference over the past five games. Truman had held their opponents to 11.8 points in the second quarter while scoring on average 16.2 points in the quarter.

Block Party:
Truman has 92 total blocks this season, 11 away from the single-season record of 103 set in 2007-08. They are second behind Rockhurst in blocks per game at 4.38.

Michalina Tomczak has accounted for 44 of the 92 blocks this season which is good for third on the single-season block charts. She is six back of Geogria Mueller's 2006-07 total of 50 but still 27 behind Mueller's school-record 71 set in 2007-08. Cassidy Clark is second on the team with 19 blocks.

Tomczak is one of three Bulldogs all-time to block 100 shots. She is at 104 and closing in on second place that is held by Jennifer Perkins (107 from 1998-2002). That will be as high as she can get on the career chart as Georgia Mueller set the bar pretty high with 195 career blocks from 2005-09.

The Starting Five:
Michalina Tomczak, Courtney Strait, Rachel Steinhoff and Kasey Gassensmith have started all 21 games this season. Cassidy Clark has started 10 and Ashley Hartwig has started eight including the last six straight. Tomczak has started 77 games over the past four seasons, Strait has started 50 and Steinhoff has started each of the 48 games she has played in since arriving on the Truman campus as a freshman.

Tomczak leads the team in scoring at 11.1 ppg followed by Strait (9.9), Steinhoff (9.5) and Gassensmith (8.9.). Clark has averaged 8.9 points and Hartwig 6.2 points. Mackenzie Jerks, Rachel Edmundson and Brooke Bailey are the three freshmen that have played significant minutes this year with each averaging over two points per game. The bench as a whole, has averaged nearly 20 points a night.

Gettin It Done With D:
In addition to closing in on the team single-season blocked shots record, the Bulldogs are currently on pace to set a new defensive scoring mark. Truman enters the week allowing 54.9 points per game and would be only the second Truman team to have a defensive scoring average under 60 points. The school record is 57.1 points in 28 games played during the 2012-13 campaign.

Truman is 11^th in the latest NCAA Division II rankings in scoring defense and leads the GLVC in that category. 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. In the post shot clock era, the record for holding opponents under 50 is five games set in 2012-13.

Strait Shooter:
Senior Courtney Strait is second among NCAA active free throw shooters. Strait's 87.3% from the line trails Lauren Gold of Shippensburg (Pa.), who's career mark is 89.6%. She is also among the Division II career leaders in points scored (80^th) and free throws made (43^rd).

Strait became the 20^th Truman player to score 1,000 career points when she scored 14 in Truman's win over Maryville. She now stands at 1,018 points for her career.

She became the 25^th player in Truman to play in 100 career games this season and if she plays in the remaining seven regular season games, will break the record of 112 games played shared by Carol Jarrard (1978-82) and Allie Norton (2011-15).

Upcoming Strait Milestones:
        Three-Pointers Made: 139 –seventh all-time (Next: 145 Breanna Daniels, 149 Susan Theroff)
        Three-Pointers Attempted: 408 – sixth all-time (Next : 412 Angie Gum, 417 Breanna Daniels)
        Free Throws Made: 275 – eighth all-time (Next: 316 Kristy Brown)
She is the career leader in free throw shooting percentage at Truman at 87.3%

Quarter Scoring:
Under the new quarter system, put in place this year for Women's Basketball. The Bulldogs are averaging 16.0 points per quarter while allowing 13.7. Truman has scored 20 points or more in a quarter 15 times and has given up 20 in a 10-minute span on 10 occasions. On the flip side, the Bulldogs have not scored 10 points in a quarter six times and have held opponents less than 10 points in 18 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.

Last Week's Recap:
Truman 51, Missouri S&T 42 (Box Score) –The Bulldogs shutdown the Missouri S&T offense in the second and third quarters, holding the Lady Miners to 11 points over the 20 minute span in the 51-42 victory in Rolla. Truman outscored S&T 17-4 in the decisive third quarter. With an 11-of-12 shooting performance at the free throw line, Michalina Tomczak turned in the fifth best single-game free throw average with a minimum of 10 made. Rachel Steinhoff led Truman with 14 points in 39 minutes of action. Bria Pierce was Missouri S&T's scoring leader with 14.

Drury 72, Truman 59 (Box Score) – The Lady Panthers knocked down 12 three-pointers and pulled away with seven straight points to end the second quarter in their 72-59 win over Truman to end their four-game winning streak. The Bulldogs took a 30-29 lead but a three-pointer by Alice Heinzler keyed an 11-0 run that spanned the second and start of the third quarter. Drury also used the glass to control the game with a 43-26 advantage and nine offensive rebounds. Michalina Tomczak scored a dozen points with half coming at the line (6-of-8). Kasey Gassensmith joined Tomczak in double-figures with 10. Heather Harman came off the bench to lead Drury to their ninth straight win over the Bulldogs with 14 points and Briana Jones added 12.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs will return home for to face two of the top teams in the East Division. On Thursday, Truman will face Wisconsin-Parkside before hosting nationally-ranked Lewis on Saturday.

#TSUvsSJC (2014-15 Box Score)
The Bulldogs have won three out of four including both GLVC games played against Saint Joseph's. Truman won 60-54 in Pershing Arena last season. The Pumas led by two with 2:08 to play but Michalina Tomczak tied the game at 54 and Allison Wiese hit her only three-pointer of the night with 45 seconds left to break the tie and propel the 'Dogs to the victory.

Allie Norton led Truman with 19 points and Lauren Davis led the Pumas with 18. Saint Joseph's led by 12 at halftime and by as many as 14 before Truman clawed their way back for the win.

In the first GLVC meeting in Rensselaer, Truman outscored the Pumas 17-7 in overtime to earn an 89-79 win. In that game, three Bulldogs scored over 20 points led by Norton's 24. Courtney Strait added 21 on five three-pointers and Bianca Szafarowicz scored 20 with four steals.

Kalea Parks is sixth in the GLVC in scoring at 16.6 points per game and tied with teammate Courtney Kvachkoff at 13^th in rebounding at 6.4 per game. Parks has the single-game GLVC high mark this season with 33 points against Drury.

Brittany Morris lead the conference with over six assists per game and has the GLVC single-game mark this season with 14 in an earlier season game. The Pumas are second in the conference in assists per game (15.9) and second in steals (9.52/g).

Steve Harold's Pumas average 66.4 points per game while giving up 63.2 points. They shoot 40.1% from the field, 35% from three and 5.4 triples per game. SJC is 9-4 at home this season, winning five of their last six home games.

#TSUvsUINDY (2014-15 Box Score Game 1 | 2014-15 Box Score Game 2)
Truman will be looking to avenge a season-ending loss to the Greyhounds from a season ago. UINDY eliminated the Bulldogs on the Pershing home court in the first round of the GLVC Postseason Tournament 72-51.

The Bulldogs were cold in the first half on the offensive end of the court scoring only 12 points and were down by 20 at the half. UINDY scored the game's first seven points but Truman scored the next nine to lead 9-7. The Greyhounds closed the first half on a 22-2 run and only led by less than 20 points on two occasions in the second half.

Princess German scored 24 points and Kelly Walter added 18 with 11 boards. Allie Norton scored 11 points in her final game as a Bulldog.

Truman won the regular season match-up with UINDY two weeks earlier 63-52 in Pershing Arena. Norton and Strait each scored 17 points and the Bulldogs hit nine three-pointers in the 11-point victory.

German leads the GLVC in scoring at 20.8 points per game and averages nearly 38 minutes per night. German's top game this season was 31 prior to the Christmas break against Ohio Dominican. She has 46 three-pointers to lead the team.

Nicole Anderson is second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

The Greyhounds are near or at the bottom of the league in scoring defense (67.0/game), three-point field goal percentage (28.9%), rebounding margin (-4.5/g) and offensive rebounds (7.0/g). UINDY lost their first eight games of the season but have gone three and three in their last six.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

#05 Allison Wiese: G; 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior

#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

#05 Allison Wiese
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#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