FEB. 2, 2001
Men's Basketball Begins Stretch of Four Games in Seven Days with Trip to Joplin
The Game: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) vs. Missouri Southern State College
Lions (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/NCAA Division II)
Date/Time: Sat., Feb. 3, 3 p.m. (CST)
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Arena (Capacity): Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,240)
The Game: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) vs. Washburn University Ichabods
(Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/NCAA Division II)
Date/Time: Mon., Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m. (CST)
Location: Kirksville, Mo.
Arena (Capacity): Pershing Arena (2,600)
Broadcast: KRES 104.7 FM, Moberly, Mo., Brad Boyer, play-by-play and Hank Janssen, commentary. The pregame show begins about 20 minutes before the game.
Team Line: Live KRES broadcast by calling 1-800-846-4700. Access Code: 6350. Charges must be billed to a credit card.
MIAA SAAC Food Drive: The MIAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, in cooperation with the Truman Captains' Round Table, will sponsor a food drive to benefit the Kirksville Salvation Army. Fans who
bring one non-perishable food item to the Feb. 10 or 21 men's or women's basketball games will gain free admission. Also, from Feb. 10-24, Truman student-athletes will be collecting canned food items door-to-door throughout the community. A drop-off point will be located at Pershing Arena on the campus of Truman State University for those wishing to make a donation.
TRUMAN PROBABLE STARTERS
3-Mike Peterson, Sr., G, 5-11, 176 (11.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
11-Jiri Mikl, So., F, 6-6, 182 (6.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
25-Scott Coykendall, Jr., F, 6-4, 210 (12.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
35-Brian Brown, Sr., F, 6-6, 216 (13.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
40-Matt Beran, Fr., F, 6-6, 215 (4.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
MISSOURI SOUTHERN PROBABLE STARTERS
14-Eddin Santiago, Jr., G, 6-1, 167 (9.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
20-Terry Shumpert, Jr., G, 6-2, 173 (13.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
24-Blake Bard, Jr., G, 6-3, 190 (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
30-Leo Gomes, Sr., F, 6-5, 205 (10.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
50-Adam Babcock, Sr., C 6-7, 255 (7.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
WASHBURN PROBABLE STARTERS
3-B.J. Ross, Sr., G, 5-11, 190 (5.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
12-Shannon Kruger, Jr., G, 5-10, 170 (7.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
15-Randolph Williams, Sr., G, 6-2, 180 (14.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
33-Eric Carter, Sr., F, 6-9, 220 (12.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
52-Ewan Auguste, Sr., C, 6-8, 220 (13.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
Truman (6-12, 2-8 MIAA): Truman comes in looking for its third MIAA win of the season with hopes of gaining some ground in the standings. A Truman win, coupled with a loss by Southwest Baptist, would pull the 'Dogs to within a game of seventh-place SBU with a head-to-head meeting scheduled with SBU next week. But the 'Dogs will have to do it against two teams, Missouri Southern and Washburn (Kan.), that have a combined 29-9 record, including 15-5 in MIAA action. Both games are matchups of some of the MIAA's best defensive clubs.
Truman's two wins in conference play came via 68-58 decision over then No. 5-ranked Northwest Missouri and a 59-45 victory over Missouri-Rolla. The 'Dogs have been on the verge of two more upsets in MIAA action, falling by a combined four points last month to their next two opponents, Missouri Southern and Washburn.
Three Bulldogs average double figures in the scoring column, led by senior forward Brian Brown (Centralia, Mo.) who averages a team-best 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Brown comes in ranked among MIAA leaders in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
Junior forward Scott Coykendall (Elmwood, Ill./Spoon River College) is second on the team at 12.7 points, followed by senior guard Mike Peterson (Mason City, Iowa) at 11.1 points per game.
But since conference play tipped off, the hottest Bulldog has been sophomore Jiri Mikl (Ostrava, Czech Republic/University Laboratory HS-Urbana, Ill.). Mikl is averaging 10.9 points in his last 10 games, compared with 1.8 in the first eight. He has connected on 10 of his last 16 three-point attempts, spanning the last two-plus games. He has led the team in each of the last three games, including a 22-point, 10-rebound effort vs. Missouri-Rolla for his first ever double-double.
Another new face to make an impact has been freshman Torre Finley (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield). He has scored 17 points in the last two games (8.5 ppg), while collecting 40 minutes. In the first 16 contests, Finley collected just 69 minutes and scored only seven points.
About the Lions (14-6, 7-3 MIAA): Missouri Southern has dropped two in a row and three of its last five games. On Wednesday night, the Lions fell 98-80 at Washburn (Kan.) after losing 67-64 at Northwest Missouri on Saturday (Jan. 27). MSSC's two wins over the last five contests came in an 85-63 home win over Central Missouri and a 104-93 double overtime home win over Missouri Southern. A 72-68 loss at Pittsburg State snapped the Lions' 10-game winning streak.
The Lions are led by sophomore Carlos Escalera, who averages 18.7 points to rank third in the MIAA. Junior Terry Shumpert averages 13.7 points, followed by senior Leo Gomes at 10.6 points a game. Gomes is also MSSC's leading rebounder with a 7.2 average, good enough for sixth in the league. Junior Eddin Santiago is the MIAA leader in assists (6.10 pg) and steals (3.80 pg). Through games of Jan. 28, he ranked fourth in NCAA Division II in steals and 15th in assists. The Lions have three of the MIAA's top four in steals, with Gomes (3.50 pg) third and Escalera (2.25 pg) fourth.
In Southern's loss on Wednesday to Washburn, Shumpert led the way with 18 points, while Gomes finished with 14 and a team-high six rebounds. Santiago and Blake Bard each had 12 points. Washburn outrebounded MSSC 43-22 and shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 61.8 percent in the first half en route to a 21-point halftime lead.
As a team, the Lions lead the MIAA in blocked shots (3.70 pg), steals (12.75) and field goal defense (.403). They are 13th in NCAA Division II in field goal defense and 17th in scoring margin (+12.3).
Washburn (15-3, 8-2 MIAA): Washburn has won five straight games by an average of 22 points. The Ichabods come in ranked No. 15 in the latest NABC/Division II Bulletin poll, first in the South Central Region, and are one of the top field goal shooting teams in the nation. Through games of Jan. 28, WU was fourth in Division II in that category, and it is currently shooting 51.6 percent from the field.
Four Ichabods average double figures in scoring, led by senior guard Randolph Williams at 14.1 points per game, for 13th in the conference. Senior center Ewan Auguste is next at 13.4 points (18th in MIAA), followed by sophomore forward Ryan Murphy at 13.0 (20th in MIAA). Senior forward Eric Carter rounds out the group, with an average of 12.4 points an outing. Auguste, last year's conference player of the year, is the club's top rebounder at 7.1 rebounds per game (seventh in the MIAA) and is second in the league and 19th in the nation with a 61.2 field goal percentage. He also averages 0.89 blocks, seventh in the league. Junior guard Shannon Kruger is tied for second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.462).
As a team, WU is 12th in NCAA-II in rebounding margin and 14th in both scoring margin and three-point field goal percentage.
Washburn comes off a 98-80 win over Missouri Southern on Wednesday. Murphy finished with a game-high 26 points, while Auguste tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds. Williams charted 20 points and Carter 10, as the Ichabods shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 61.8 percent in the first half.
Coaches Records: Bulldog head coach Jack Schrader is in his sixth season at Truman and has a record of 79-79. He is 4-7 versus MSSC and 5-6 versus Washburn.
Robert Corn is in the 12th year of his career with each year spent at MSSC. He has a career record of 177-149 (.543).
Bob Chipman is in his 22nd year as a head coach and has spent each year on the Ichabods' sideline. He has a career record of 499-176 (.739).
SERIES RECORD WITH MSSC: MSSC leads 11-10
Games at Kirksville, Mo.: Truman leads 7-5
Games at Joplin, Mo.: MSSC leads 5-2
Neutral Site Games: Series tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Jan. 6, 2001, at Kirksville
Last Truman Win: 74-71, Feb. 22, 1999, at Kirksville
Last MSSC Win: 75-73, Jan. 6, 2001, at Kirksville
Most Points by Truman: 97 (107-97, 3OT), Jan. 27, 1996, at Kirksville
Most Points by MSSC: 107 (107-97, 3OT), Jan. 26, 1996, at Kirksville
Largest Truman Win: +14 (87-73), Jan. 15, 1994, at Kirksville
Largest MSSC Win: +25 (86-61), Jan. 18, 1992, at Joplin
Current Streak: MSSC won 3
Last Truman win at Joplin: 64-61, Feb. 14, 1998
Last MSSC win at Kirksville: 75-73, Jan. 6, 2001
SERIES RECORD WITH WASHBURN: Washburn leads 20-13
Games at Kirksville, Mo.: Truman leads 10-5
Games at Topeka, Kan.: WU leads 15-2
Neutral Site Games: Truman leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Jan. 8, 2001, at Topeka
Last Truman Win: 78-73, Jan. 3, 2000, at Kirksville
Last WU Win: 75-73, Jan. 8, 2001, at Topeka
Most Points by Truman: 86 (86-83), Dec. 4, 1976, at Topeka
Most Points by WU: 102 (102-82), Dec. 3, 1983, at Topeka
Largest Truman Win: +12 (57-45), Dec. 1, 1973 at Kirksville
Largest WU Win: +41 (93-52), Feb. 3, 1997 at Topeka
Current Streak: WU won 2
Last Truman win at Topeka: 67-65, Feb. 1, 1999
Last Washburn win at Kirksville: 72-69, Jan. 10, 1998
Bulldogs in the MIAA (Through games of Jan. 31): Truman continues to lead the MIAA in defensive rebounds (26.28 pg) and is ranked second in scoring defense (65.8 ppg allowed) and field goal defense (opponents shooting .420).
Individually, Brown ranks 15th in the MIAA in scoring with an average of 13.8 points per game. He's also eighth in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and sixth in blocked shots (1.00 pg).
Peterson is eighth in steals (1.61 pg), three-point field goal percentage (.390) and three-pointers made per game (1.78).
Coykendall stands 10th with a 76.3 percentage at the free throw line, and freshman Matt Beran (Victor, Iowa/HLV-Victor) is ninth in blocked shots (0.83 pg) and 15th in rebounding (5.4 rpg).
Truman vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 31): Truman saw Central Missouri start the game on a 14-2 run, and the 'Dogs could never gain the lead on Wednesday night in a 44-40 loss at Warrensburg.
After the Mules got out to their largest lead of 12 points early in the first half, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 spurt over the next five minutes to get back within four. But Central outscored the 'Dogs 8-2 over the next seven minutes and took a 22-15 lead into halftime after a Mikl three-pointer cut the lead to seven.
In the second half, the 'Dogs began by outscoring CMSU 9-4 and closed the gap to 26-24 with 13:02 to play. Back-to-back three-pointers by Mikl and Finley tied the score at 38 with 2:38 to play, but Central was able to hold on for the win.
Mikl finished with 13 points to lead all scorers while B.J. Jefferson tallied 12 to lead the Mules. Truman's Brown and Finley added eight and seven points, respectively, in the defensive battle.
The 84 combined points was the second fewest in MIAA history, since the advent of the shot clock in 1985-86.
Bulldogs Among Career Leaders: Brown remains 14th in among Truman's all-time scoring leaders with 1,092 points. He needs 24 points to tie Jack Beck for 13th on the career list. Now with 487 career rebounds Brown passed Steve Horton for 19th on that career chart and stands 10 boards behind Dan Storck. Brown also ranks seventh on the career free throws list with 260 (five behind sixth-place Brian Basich), and is tied for 22nd in career assists with 153. He also stands in sixth place on the Bulldogs' career blocked shots list with 58. With 11 more, he'll tie Rick Rigsbee for fifth place.
Peterson remains sixth in career three-pointers with 148, which is 16 behind fifth-place Jason Ramthun. He's 13th in career free throws with 191 and remains 20th in career assists with 180, but has closed to within seven of 19th-place Justin Matthews. Peterson is also 169 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club.
Bits on the Bulldogs
5-Peter Aydt: A junior guard, Aydt had a career-high seven points versus Lincoln and matched the total with seven points, all in the second half versus PSU ... with 35 points on the season, has already surpassed his previous career total (23) ... has played in 15 of the 18 games with nine starts ... ranks sixth on the team in assists ... led the team in assists versus Hannibal-LaGrange and Drury ... matched career high in points when he scored seven in 12 minutes vs. PSU.
40-Matt Beran: A freshman forward, Beran tallied a career- and team season-high four blocked shots in Truman's win over SIU-Edwardsville has played in every game, including six starts ... ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg), tied for third in assists (33, 1.83 apg) and sixth in scoring (83 points, 4.6 ppg) ... has two double-doubles on the year ... his first came in the Bulldogs' win over Hannibal-LaGrange when he charted 10 points and 10 rebounds ... his second, also a 10-point, 10-rebound effort, came in his first career start, versus Central Missouri ... tied a team season-high and set a career-high with five assists in the loss to Lincoln ... is eighth in the MIAA in blocked shots (0.83 pg) and 15th in rebounding.
35-Brian Brown: A senior forward, Brown is the team's scoring and rebounding leader with averages of 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game ... leads team in assists (38, 2.11 pg) ... leads team with 18 blocked shots, more than any player since 1994-95, and is second in steals (15) ... has played in all 18 games, starting each ... has played in every game since the beginning of the 1998-99 season, a total of 78 contests ... currently 14th all-time at Truman in scoring (1,092 points) ... is seventh all-time in free throws made (260) and 19th in rebounding (487) ... has scored in double figures in 14 of 18 games this year, including three games with 20 or more points ... has three double-doubles on the season ... matched his career-high and set a team season-high with 28 points in the loss to Lincoln ... also had a team season-high in field goals with 10 vs. LU ... ranks 15th in the MIAA in scoring, eighth in rebounding and sixth in blocked shots (1.00 pg).
52-Dusty Bruner: A junior center, Bruner went a perfect 2-of-2 at the foul line and grabbed two rebounds in the win over Hannibal-LaGrange, his only action of the season.
25-Scott Coykendall: A junior transfer from Spoon River College in Canton, Ill., Coykendall ranks second on the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and third in rebounding (5.2 rpg) ... has scored in double figures in 13 of 18 games this year, including four efforts of 20 or more points ... tallied his first senior college career double-double with career-highs in points (23) and rebounds (13) in a win over Monmouth (Ill.) ... matched his career-high in points versus Emporia ... had a team-season-high streak of double-figure scoring games snapped at 11 last month ... is 10th in the MIAA in free throw percentage (.763) ... among the squad's top free throw shooters and has connected on 46 of his last 58 attempts at the stripe ... shooting 78.9 percent (41-of-52) at the foul line in MIAA games ... fifth on team with 32 assists ... leads team with 37 offensive rebounds ... has led the team in scoring seven times this season and in rebounding four times.
14-Eric Delaney: Delaney will receive a medical redshirt for this season as he has been sidelined for most of the games with an ankle injury. Saw action in three games this year prior to the injury ... tied for team lead with two steals in the exhibition game versus Southeast Missouri ... scored his lone point of the year in the Bulldogs' win over Hannibal-LaGrange ... had two rebounds in each of the wins over SIU-Edwardsville and Westminster.
00-Bill Farr: Scored his only two points in his only game of the season, the win over SIU-Edwardsville ... a redshirt freshman forward.
15-Torre Finley: Played in 12 games, averaging 9.1 minutes an outing ... has 24 points (2.0 ppg), nine rebounds, four assists and four steals ... has 17 points in his last two games ... had his first collegiate double-figure scoring game with 10 second-half points versus Pittsburg State (Kan.) ... also had career-highs with five field goals ... walk-on guard who moved up to the varsity from the junior varsity squad.
Adam Glosier: A sophomore center, Glosier started and played 20 minutes in the 'Dogs exhibition loss to Southeast Missouri ... will receive a medical redshirt after suffering a knee injury in practice early this season ... he scored five points and had three rebounds and a steal in the exhibition game with SEMO ... transfer from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point).
32-Cory Long: Long has played in three varsity games this season, seeing a total of seven minutes of action ... Played briefly versus SIU-Edwardsville and had three-minute stints versus Quincy (Ill.) and Pittsburg State (Kan.) ... a walk-on guard.
50-Dan Mailath: Mailath had a career-high five points in Truman's win over Hannibal-LaGrange ... has played in eight of the 18 games this year, collecting his first two career starts ... has 11 points, 10 rebounds two assists and a block in 40 minutes of action this year ... a junior center.
Bret Maxwell: Maxwell played briefly in Truman's win over Hannibal-LaGrange, his only playing time of the year ... a walk-on forward, playing mostly with the junior varsity.
11-Jiri Mikl: Mikl had a career day at Missouri-Rolla last week, establishing career-highs in points (22), field goals (8), attempts (13), three-pointers (6), three-point attempts (9) and rebounds (10) ... came on strong early in the MIAA season and has played in all 18 games this year ... leads team in field goal percentage (.524, 43-of-82) ... has connected on 25 of his 45 three-point attempts and has hit 12 of his last 16 ... averaging 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds ... has scored in double figures in six of the last nine games ... had a perfect night from the field vs. WU, hitting 5-of-5 field goals, 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 at the stripe for 13 points ... has scored 109 points in his last 10 games (10.9 ppg), compared with 14 in the first eight (1.8 ppg) ... shooting 57.1 percent from the field in MIAA games (36-of-63) ... has hit 19-of-20 free throws as a Bulldog, including all 12 attempts this year ... has hit at least one three-pointer in eight of the 10 MIAA games ... shooting 55.6 percent from beyond the arc, tops on the team for players with more than two attempts.
4-Aaron Mueller: A freshman guard, Mueller averages 13 minutes per game off the bench ... has played in all 18 games with one start ... is a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line ... had a career-high eight points in the win over Hannibal-LaGrange and matched it versus Emporia ... logged a career-best three steals versus Westminster ... averaging 2.7 points and 1.0 rebounds with 10 assists and five steals on the year ... has hit 10 three-pointers.
20-Nathan Owen: A junior guard, Owen has started 10 games and has played in 17 of the squad's 18 games ... ranks fourth in scoring (7.6 ppg) ... tied for third on team with 33 assists (1.94 pg) ... has eight double-figure scoring games this year, including two career-high 14-point performances (versus Westminster and SIU-Edwardsville) ... connected on a career-high four of eight three-point goals versus Central Missouri ... has hit at least one three-pointer in five of the nine MIAA games in which he has played ... redshirt junior who sat out 1999-00 after transferring from Southeast Missouri State
3-Mike Peterson: Ranks third on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg) and leads the team with 29 steals (1.61 pg) ... Senior guard shooting 43 percent from the field, including 39 percent from the three-point line ... Shooting 87 (40-of-46) percent from the foul line this year ... a career 86 percent (191-of-223) free throw shooter ... has hit on 88 percent (176-of-200) of his charity tosses since his freshman year ... has 36 assists to rank second on the team ... leads team in minutes, averaging 33.8 per game ... charted career-highs with 27 points and eight field goals in the 'Dogs' win over SIU-Edwardsville ... has reached double figures in 11 games this season, including two with 20 or more points ... finished with a game-high 20 points in Truman's upset win over NWMSU ... had a career-high nine rebounds in the loss to Drury ... comes in eighth in the MIAA in steals, three-point field goal percentage and threes made (1.78 pg) ... ranks fourth on the team in rebounding (4.3 rpg) ... is sixth all-time at Truman in career three-point goals ... also 13th in career free throws and 20th in career assists (180).
42-Eric Wade: Has played in 14 games this season ... logged his first career start in the loss to Drury ... had a career-high seven points in the loss to Lincoln ... reached career highs in blocks (3) and rebounds (10) versus Quincy (Ill.) ... has six blocks this year ... averaging 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 points in 8.4 minutes per game ... has played in 22 career games.
Missouri Southern @ Truman (JAN. 6, 2001): The Bulldogs suffered a tough loss to Missouri Southern earlier this season, as the Lions escaped Pershing Arena with a 75-73 win over Truman.
The 'Dogs led for much of the game after starting the contest on a 20-9 run. After MSSC rallied for a 34-34 tie at the half, Truman fell behind by as many as six early in the second half. A 9-2 Bulldog run gave the 'Dogs a 45-44 lead with 13:56 to play, and the team extended the margin to six points midway through the period. Truman continued to lead by six with 3:07 to play, but the Lions ended the game on a 10-2 run, highlighted by Terry Shumpert's game-tying three-pointer with 1:31 to play and then capped by his winning jumper in the lane with three seconds showing on the clock.
The Bulldogs had one last chance to get the win, but junior Nathan Owen (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Southeast Missouri State)'s three-point attempt missed the mark and time expired before a putback attempt could be made.
Brian Brown led the 'Dogs with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Scott Coykendall finished with 14 points and six boards. Owen and Mike Peterson each had 10 points. Jiri Mikl gave Truman a big lift off the bench, scoring nine points.
Truman @ Washburn (JAN. 8, 2001): The Bulldogs led 63-57 with 4:58 to play, but couldn't hold on, as then-No. 21 Washburn rallied for a 75-73 win over Truman earlier this year. It marked the 'Dogs second two-point loss in as many games.
After the Ichabods led 38-36 at halftime, Truman took its first lead since midway through the first half when Coykendall hit two free throws with 16:17 to play. WU reclaimed the lead seconds later, and went up by four with 11:57 to go. Jiri Mikl connected on a three-pointer that trimmed the lead to one and keyed the 'Dogs on a 16-6 run, which would ultimately extend the margin to 63-57 with 4:58 to play. But the Bulldogs couldn't hold on, as Washburn outscored Truman 18-10 over the final 4:58.
Two Coykendall free throws tied the score at 68 with 1:28 to go, but the Ichabods hit five of their last six free throws. Truman had a chance for the win in the waning seconds, but Coykendall's three-point attempt was off the mark.
Coykendall finished with 20 points to lead five Bulldogs in double-figures. Mikl matched his career high with 13 points, while Brown and Nathan Owen each added 11. Peterson ended with 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Beran charted six rebounds and two blocks.
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