Feb. 23, 2003
Women's Basketball Team Finishes Season With Two-Game Homestand, Starting With Southwest Baptist On Wednesday
Truman State University Bulldogs
vs.
Southwest Baptist University Lady Bearcats
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003
Time: 5:30 p.m. (CDT)
Location: Kirksville, Mo.
Arena (Capacity): Pershing Arena (2,600)
Complete release in .pdf format
Broadcast: KRES 104.7 FM in Moberly, Mo., Brad Boyer will do play-by-play, with commentary from Truman assistant athletics director Kevin White. The pregame show begins approximately 15 minutes before the game.
Team Line: Live KRES broadcast by calling 1-800-846-4700. Access Code: 6350. A reasonable fee is charged, call as many times as you like and listen as long as you wish each time.
Listen for free on the internet to live KRES broadcasts of Bulldog Basketball. Go to regionalradio.com and click on KRES.
Truman (9-15 overall, 5-11 MIAA): The Bulldogs went a long way to securing a berth in the Sonic MIAA Championships when they registered a 66-61 win at Missouri Southern on Saturday. Truman exacted revenge over the Lady Lions for a 84-73 overtime loss on Jan. 25 when Sarah Sommer scored a team season high of 36 points and MSSC's Jacquie Rzeszut came one-off the MIAA record with 45 points.
The rematch was nearly as exciting after Truman led for nearly the entire game, except for one tied score in the first half and a minute-and-a-half period in the second half when MSSC got ahead of the 'Dogs by two. The Lady Lions also tied the score with four minutes left and got within three points of the Bulldogs with 13 seconds to go after making a pair of free throws and a three-pointer.
The victory propelled Truman into sole ownership of the eighth spot in the MIAA standings after Central Missouri lost to No. 22 Emporia State on Saturday. The 'Dogs are also just one game out of seventh in the MIAA standings, sitting just behind Missouri Southern now. While MSSC has Missouri-Rolla on the agenda this week, the Lady Lions will wrap up the regular season at No. 12 Washburn.
If the 'Dogs pick up wins in their final two games and MSSC losses a game, Truman could sneak in to the postseason tourney as the No. 7 seed. Central Missouri hosts Pittsburg on Wednesday before heading to Truman for what could be a postseason-deciding game. If the Bulldogs tie UMR or CMSU in the league standings, Truman will likely have the tie-breaker over both of those teams by virtue of its win over top-seeded Washburn earlier this year.
Emporia, Washburn, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri, Pittsburg State and Southwest Baptist have all clinched berths to the Sonic MIAA postseason tournament. The MIAA takes its top eight teams to the postseason tournament in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium March 6-9.
The winner of the MIAA postseason tournament will earn an automatic bid to th NCAA Division II tourney, as will the league champions from the Heartland and Lone Star conferences in the South Central region.
The NCAA DII bracket will include 64 teams from eight regions with eight teams from each region making the tournament. The winner in the South Central region is slated to play the winner out of the Great Lakes region in the 2003 NCAA Elite Eight to be held in St. Joseph and hosted by Missouri Western.
Bulldogs In Last Seven Games: After snapping an eight-game MIAA losing streak with a 76-71 win over then-No. 5-ranked Washburn on Feb. 1, Truman has won four of its last seven games and it making a run for the MIAA postseason tourney.
The Bulldogs have shot 44.2% over the last seven games, to their opponents 39.4% performance, and have averaged 6.3 three-pointers a contest. They have also out-rebounded their last seven foes by 1.7 boards a game.
Junior forward Annie Westhoff (Webster Groves, Mo.) has averaged 20.7 points during that span, while junior transfer Sarah Sommer (Sparland, Ill./Midland-Bradley U.) has 14.9.
Westhoff has hit 18 threes over the last seven games and has led the team at the line, hitting 35-of-44 (79.5), while also finishing second on the boards with 7.4 a game.
Sommer has shot 52.6% from the field and a team-best 47.6% from three-point land (10-of-21).
Adri Tromp has averaged a double-double with 11.3 points and 10.4 rebounds, along with 13 steals.
Sophomore guard Kellie Floyd (Kirksville, Mo.) and Sommer each have 19 assists. Sommer and sophomore center Jamie Huffman (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) each have four blocks over the seven-game skein, while Huffman leads the team off the bench with 55.3% shooting from the field (21-of-38).
Last Game: Truman 66, Missouri Southern 61: The Bulldogs got off to a 7-0 start on the Lady Lions with a pair of buckets by Sarah Sommer and a three-pointer by Annie Westhoff in between. Truman outscored MSSC 20-8 by the 12:35 mark to take its greatest lead of the game. However, the Lady Lions embarked on an 8-1 run after that to get within five points of the 'Dogs. MSSC also out-scored Truman 11-4 after that and tied the score at 25 apiece with two minutes left before halftime. The Bulldogs held the Lady Lions scoreless from there and went on a 7-0 run to finish the half. A jumper by senior forward Jennifer Fisher (Fordland, Mo./Marshfield) with one second left gave the 'Dogs a 32-25 halftime lead. Truman shot 54.2% in the first half to MSSC's 27.6%, and out-shot the Lady Lions 45.3% to 32.3% for the game.
Missouri Southern regrouped during intermission and opened the second period with a 9-2 run to grab their first lead at the 15-minute mark, 36-34. Kelli Floyd then hit a two-pointer before the Lady Lions' Jacquie Rzeszut gave MSSC its last lead of the game on a pair of free shots, 38-36.
Sarah Sommer hit from outside the arc to put the visitors ahead again and spark a 10-2 run that would leave Truman with a six-point lead with eight minutes remaining. Missouri Southern did not go away easy though and tied the score for the last time with 4:02 left on the clock. Westhoff took charge after that, scoring nine of the 'Dogs' next 11 points to leave Truman with a six-point margin with 1:15 to go.
A layup and free-throw by freshman guard Ali Long (Lebanon, Mo.) with 44 ticks on the clock put the Bulldogs up by seven and another pair of free shots by Long with 11 seconds left, sealed the win for the 'Dogs. Katie Deen hit from long range with 13 seconds remaining to get MSSC within three, but it was not enough as Truman went home with its second-straight win, 66-61.
Sommer led Truman for the second-straight game with 18 points, while Kelli Floyd came one point from her career-high with 15 points. Westhoff tallied 14 points and tied Adri Tromp for the team-lead on the boards with nine. Katie Deen led MSSC with 19 points (see box on next page).
Bulldogs in the MIAA (Through games of Feb. 22): Truman led the MIAA in three-pointers per game for nearly the entire season until falling to second this week with 6.83 a game. The Bulldogs are up one spot to eighth in league scoring offense (66.8 points) and remain at 10th in scoring defense (70.9).
Westhoff is up to sixth in league scoring (15.2 ppg) and is 10th in rebounding (6.5 rpg), eighth in in field goal percentage (.429) and three-point field goal percentage (.353) and ninth in free throw percentage (.736) and seventh in three-point field goals made (1.71 pg).
Sommer is 15th among league scoring leaders (12.6 ppg) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.419). She also still touts the best three-point effort in the conference this year when she was 5-of-5 vs. Westminster, while sophomore guard Kelli Floyd (Kirksville) is tied for second with Katie Deen of Missouri Southern after both had 4-for-4 performances from beyond the arch this year.
Tromp is fifth in MIAA rebounding (7.8 rpg), fourth defensive rebounds (5.29 pg) and 10th in free throw percentage (.703).
Westhoff Goes Off: Since becoming a starter nine games ago, Westhoff has led or tied for the team-lead in scoring five times, including with 27 points vs. top-seed Washburn and a career-high 30-point performance vs. Missouri-Rolla.
In fact, Westhoff has led or tied for the lead in scoring 10 times this year and has topped the 'Dogs in rebounding in nine contests. The Bulldogs have doubled their number of wins to four since Westhoff garnered a spot among the starters, while Truman had won two games in the nine games prior.
She already ranks 14th among Bulldog career scoring leaders with 850 points since she joined the team in 2000, and is 10th among career three-point leaders as Truman (55).
Westhoff has made at least three treys in seven games in 2002-03, including two of the last three encounters.
Sommer Time: Sarah Sommer has also made an impact at Truman in her first season with the 'Dogs. She posted the team's best game this season with 36 points in the first Missouri Southern meeting. She's led the team in scoring nine times, including in the last game at Missouri Southern when she scored 18 points. She also had a 22-point effort vs. Westminster in Game No. 2 this season. Sommer has hit at least two three-pointers in 11 games, including six contests with three or more.
Tromp Hits the Boards: Adri Tromp has hit the boards hard this year, posting a team-best of five double-digit rebounding games, including three double-doubles. She also had 10 defensive rebounds in rematches with Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western. For the year, she's led the team in rebounding 12 times and in six of the last seven games. She had a Truman career-high of 17 boards vs. Lincoln on Dec. 14, and had her best outing in MIAA games when she grabbed 15 against NWMS. With 187 total rebounds this year, Tromp is preparing to enter the Truman career rebounding list (see page 5).
'Dogs in Conference only Games: Through 16 MIAA games, the Bulldogs are averaging 66.1 points a game while allowing 75.8. Truman is shooting 40.1% from the field, 31.2% from three-point range and 69.3% from the free throw line. Truman is being out-rebounded by a mere 0.4 boards a game by its MIAA foes. The Bulldogs are turning the ball over 3.1 more times per game than the opposition.
Individually, Westhoff is in double-figures in scoring with 16.1 points a game, as is Sommer with 13.1. Tromp leads the team during league games with 8.2 rebounds followed by Westhoff (6.8) and Jamie Huffman (4.0).
Truman is averaging 6.1 three-pointers a game led by Westhoff with 28 and followed by Sommer (22) and senior forward Jennifer Fisher (Fordland, Mo./Marshfield) (13).
Sophomore center Jamie Huffman (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) is shooting a team-best 51.5% in MIAA games, while Sommer is hitting from the field at a 48.1% clip.
'Dogs in Double-Digits: Westhoff leads the team with 18 double-digit scoring games this year, including her current 10-game streak and a streak of eight games earlier in the year. Westhoff had a new career-high with 30 points vs. Missouri-Rolla last week, her fourth 20-plus game of the season. She also led all scorers with 27 points against then-No. 5 Washburn on Feb. 1, had 21 points vs. Emporia State in the first meeting and 20 points in the first Missouri-Rolla encounter. She recorded the first double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds vs. Quincy on Dec. 10, and had her second vs. Missouri-Rolla with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Her third double-double came vs. SBU on Jan. 28 with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Sommer has scored in double-digits 16 times this year, including the team's best outing with 36 points vs. Missouri Southern on Jan. 15.
Tromp has 10 double-digit scoring games this year with her best games coming last week in encounters with Pittsburg and Missouri-Rolla when she posted career-highs of 18 points. She had her first double-double at Truman with 16 points and 17 rebounds vs. Lincoln on Dec. 14, and enjoyed her second vs. UMR with 12 points and boards. Tromp posted her third double-double of the year with 16 points and 15 rebounds in the Northwest Missouri rematch on Feb. 5.
Rainbow Record Ready to fall:
The Bulldogs are nearing the team single-season record for three-pointers made with just seven more need to tied the Truman record of 171 set more than 10 years ago in 1990-91. The Bulldogs record of 513 attempts was set in 2001-02 and with 495 attempts this season, they are also knocking on the door of that mark too.
The Bulldogs were ranked 20th in NCAA Division II, through games of Feb. 16, which had them averaging 6.9 treys a game. The 'Dogs are now second in the MIAA with 6.83 three-pointers a game. They have reached double-digits in the made column five times this year, most recently with 11 vs. then-No. 5 Washburn. The Bulldogs set a Truman single-game record vs. Westminster on Nov. 26 when they knocked down 15 treys, the best in the MIAA this year. They followed up that game by hitting 12 three-pointers in the next contest vs. William Penn. The 'Dogs' worst long range performance came in the first meeting with Southwest Baptist with three.
Sommer was 5-for-5 from beyond the arc vs. Westminster, accounting for the best performance in the MIAA to date. Freshman forward Sarah Bernard (Clever, Mo.) hit five three-pointers vs. William Penn on Dec. 4.
Kelli Floyd is tied for the second-best three-point percentage in the league after going 4-for-4 vs. Washburn. Westhoff and Sommer lead the team with 41 and 36 three-pointers, respectively.
Southwest Baptist (14-11, 8-8 MIAA): The Lady Bearcats have clinched a spot in the Sonic MIAA postseason tournament and are sitting in the fifth spot in the MIAA standings. After meeting up with Truman on Wednesday, SBU completes the regular season by hosting Missouri-Rolla.
the Lady 'Cats have won three of their last five games, including the last two vs. Pittsburg State 61-52 and are coming off an upset of Missouri Western on Saturday, 94-80.
The Lady Bearcats swept PSU and CMSU this year, but lost both encounters with Washburn, Emporia and Northwest Missouri. Southwest Baptist has split with Missouri Southern and Missouri Western. The Lady 'Cats beat both Truman and Missouri-Rolla earlier in the year.
Amber Wheeler is seventh among MIAA scoring leaders (15.1 ppg) and Gwyn Smith is 10th (13.9 ppg), while Kirksville native Alicia Mercer is rated 19th (11.5 ppg).
Wheeler is also ninth in MIAA field goal percentage (.421), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.371) and second in three-point field goals made (2.36 pg).
Smith leads the MIAA in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and is seventh in free throw percentage (.752).
Jenny Miller ranks sixth in league assists (4.08 pg) and is seventh in steals (1.88 pg).
Six of the Lady Bearcats' eight players scored in double-digits against Missouri Western, led by Smith and Wheeler who tied with 20 points each. Mercer and Allison Ramirez both had 14 points, while Miller had 11 and Jenny Hancock had 10. Smith also led the team on the boards with eight and was 6-for-6 form the line, while Wheeler hit 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Miller had 10 assists.
MWSC shot 60.8% from the field to SBU's 53.2%, but turned the ball over 21 times to the Lady Cat's 10 turnovers.
Series Info: Truman has lost the last seven games against SBU. The Lady Bearcats hold an 20-7 advantage in the all-time series. The last time the Bulldogs beat Southwest Baptist was on Jan. 15, 2000, 77-70 in Kirksville, snapping a six-game losing streak in the series.
Earlier this year -Southwest Baptist 69, Truman 57: Annie Westhoff put Truman on the board first a few seconds into the game and the two teams traded the lead five times and tied the score three times during the first five minutes of play. Southwest Baptist went ahead for good at 15:41 during a 7-0 run. Westhoff would score the 'Dogs' first 11 points of the game and finish with her third double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 boards. Truman managed to keep SBU's lead under double-digits in the first half, taking just a six-point deficit into the lockerroom at halftime, 32-26.
The Lady Bearcats opened the second period by outscoring Truman 5-2 in the first few minutes, taking their first double-digit lead at 17:41, 39-28. SBU expanded its lead to 13 points at 17:04, culminating a 7-2 run to start the half. After that, the Bulldogs rallied and cut their deficit to four behind an 11-2 run that put the score at 43-39 with 12:27 to go. The Lady Bearcats would push their lead back into double-digits three more times before taking a permanent double-digit lead with 3:42 left to play. Jennifer Fisher scored seven of the 'Dogs' last nine points, starting at 2:29, but SBU had an answer each time and made 3-of-4 free throws in the final minute to seal the win, 69-57.
Head Coach: John Sloop became the eighth head coach in the 30-year history of the Truman women's basketball program in July of 2000. Sloop spent the five previous years as the assistant for the Truman men's basketball team. In his first season as taskmaster for the Bulldogs, Sloop's team posted nine wins, but made a rapid improvement last year with a 14-13 record. The 2001-02 squad qualified for the MIAA tournament for the fourth time in the last five years and produced first-team all-MIAA center Jennifer Perkins. Sloop has a career record of 32-45 (.416).
Jim Middleton, who also serves as the director of athletics at Southwest Baptist, is in his ninth season coaching the Lady Bearcats. At SBU and for his career, Middleton has a record of 166-86 (.659).
2003 Sonic MIAA Championships: The men's and women's MIAA postseason tournaments will be held at a neutral site this year for the first time and will be sponsored by Sonic Drive-In. The 2003 Sonic MIAA Championships will take place on March 6-9 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. For ticket information, call the Truman ticket office at (660) 785-4167.