Feb. 23, 2001
Women's Basketball Team Heads to Pittsburg for Regular Season Finale
The Game: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) vs. Pittsburg State University (MIAA/NCAA
DII)
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 24, 2001/1:30 pm
Location: Pittsburg, Kan.
Arena (Capacity): John Lance Arena (6,500)
Broadcast: KRES 104.7 FM in Moberly, Mo., Sports Director Brad Boyer will do play-by-play, with commentary from Kevin White, Truman Assistant Director of Athletics, for the home games and Hank Janssen doing commentary on the road. The pregame show begins approximately 15 minutes before the game.
Team Line: Live KRES broadcast by calling 1-800-846-4700. Access Code: 6350
Truman Probable Starters
24-Annie Westhoff, Fr., F, 6-0 (9.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
10-Jessy Fletcher, Jr., F, 5-11 (10.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg)
35-Jennifer Perkins, Jr., C, 6-1 (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg)
04-Keagan Thalin, Fr., G, 5-8 (4.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
13-Robyn Gerber, Jr., G, 5-8 (6.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Pittsburg State Probable Starters
31-Bethany Turnbull, So., F, 5-11 (8.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
42-Jeri Spencer, Sr., F, 5-11 (5.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
15-Amanda Davied, So., G, 5-6 (10.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
23-Briana Keeton, Jr., G, 5-9 (5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
44-Natalie Stahl, Sr., G, 5-8 (9.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Truman (8-17 overall, 3-14 in the MIAA): It's down to the last game of the regular season and the Bulldogs still have a chance to make their fifth-straight trip to the MIAA postseason tournament. A win over Pittsburg State and a loss by Missouri Southern to the Northwest Missouri women would clinch the 'Dogs' postseason trip.
However, regardless of a victory by Truman, if MSSC wins, that would spell the end of the Bulldogs season.
The Bulldogs are 4-8 in Kirksville, and 4-9 on the road.
The Truman women snapped a five-game losing streak with a 78-66 win over Missouri-Rolla on Wednesday to split with the Lady Miners for the year. Junior center Jennifer Perkins (Ft. Dodge, Iowa/Edmund) scored an MIAA season high of 35 points in the game. In addition to her 35-point performance, she also set new career highs for field goals made and attempted (12-of-26) and free throws made and attempted (11-of-14).
Truman ranks first in the MIAA in rebounding offense (41.1 rpg) and defensive rebounds (28.28 drpg) and is second in blocked shots (3.20 bpg) and field goal percentage defense (.380). The Bulldogs have out-rebounded 17 of their opponents this season, including a 51-35 margin over the Lady Miners on Wednesday.
Pittsburg State (16-9 overall, 10-7 in the MIAA): The Gorillas have clinched a berth in the MIAA postseason tournament and will make a trip to Central Missouri for the first-round game. Even if the two teams tie at 11-7 in the MIAA, CMSU will be the higher seed by virtue of its season-sweep of PSU.
Amanda Davied is ranked 17th in MIAA scoring (10.7 ppg), while Bethany Turnbull is 13th in rebounding (6.4 rpg). Senior Jamiee Bohannon leads PSU at 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game,but has played in just one game since mid-January due to a hip injury. She will be available on a limited basis Saturday and for the postseason.
Series Records: Pittsburg has an 11-4 lead in the all-time series with the 'Dogs. The Gorillas defeated the Bulldogs 80-73 in Kirksville on Jan. 27 this season. Last year, the teams each won on the home court. The 'Dogs won the meeting on Feb. 26, 2000, 78-63 in Kirksville, and PSU won the Jan. 29, 2000, encounter 77-64.
The Coaches: Bulldog Head Coach John Sloop is in his first season as a collegiate head coach, but served five years as the assistant coach for the Truman men's team.
Steve High is in his 12th season at Pittsburg, holding an overall record of 213-117 (.645) since becoming the Gorilla head coach. He is 11-4 vs. Truman.
Bulldogs in the MIAA & NCAA: Junior center/forward Jennifer Perkins (Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmund) is third in the conference with 16.5 points a game, fifth in rebounding (7.7 rpg) and in field goal percentage (.510) and tied for first in MIAA blocked shots (1.40 pg).
Sophomore forward/center Jennifer Fisher (Fordland, Mo./Marshfield) is third in conference rebounding (8.1 rpg) and is seventh in blocked shots (1.00 pg).
Junior guard/forward Jessy Fletcher (Atlanta, Mo.) is tied for 10th in league rebounding (6.6 pg) and 19th in scoring (10.3 ppg).
Junior guard Tessa Thurman (Atlanta, Mo.) is seventh in three point field goals made (1.56 pg) and in three-point field goal percentage (.281).
Perkins Breaks Blocks Record: Perkins broke the Truman record for career blocked shots on Feb. 7 after swatting five Missouri Western balls. The five rejections also tied the Truman single-game record. Perkins, who now has 64 for her career, swiped the record from Amy Pillard who charted 58 blocks from 1994-96.
Bits on the Bulldogs
40-Jennifer Fisher, Jr.: Had a career-high with 25 points and five three-pointers vs. St. Joseph's (Ind.) on Nov. 24 ... leads the team from the line, shooting .902 (55-of-61) ... scored in double figures in 14 games this year, including seven double-doubles ... tied her career high with 14 rebounds vs. Missouri-Rolla on Wednesday ... fourth on the Truman career blocked shots list with 46 and is is tied for ninth in career three-point field goals made (39) ... is also fourth on the Bulldog single season blocks list with 25 ... led the 'Dogs with 15 points vs. CMSU on Jan. 3 ... leads the team with 61 assists ... her 5-of-5 performance from long range in the St. Joseph's contest ties her with one other individual in the MIAA for the best single-game percentage (1.000) from beyond the arc this season, it is also tied for second in the league for most made in the game ... made game-winning put-back in 70-69 overtime win vs. Missouri Southern on Feb. 3
10-Jessy Fletcher, Jr.: John Wood Community College Transfer ... only player to have started every game ... scored in double figures 15 times with three double-doubles ... had senior college career highs with 17 points and 3-of-4 performance from long range vs. Washburn on Feb. 5, and grabbed a career-high of 14 rebounds vs. St. Joseph's ... second on the team with 10.3 points a game ... tied for the team season game-high with six assists against St. Joseph's ... had two blocks in three games this season, most recently vs. Missouri Southern on Feb. 7 ... her 12 blocks this season puts her in the 16th spot on the Truman single season list ... third on the team with 47 assists.
13-Robyn Gerber, Jr.: Gerber is fifth in scoring on the team with 6.1 points a game ... has five games this year with double-digit scoring ... led the team with 15 points in Truman's first MIAA win over Missouri Southern on Jan. 6, and with 12 points in the team's first victory of the year at Quincy (Ill.) ... tied for the team season-high with six assists in the first Rockhurst encounter on Nov. 28 ... had the game-winning assist in the 50-48 win over Quincy ... has missed four games this year due to a back injury, including the Emporia contest on Saturday.
35-Jennifer Perkins, Jr.: The teams leading scorer (16.5 ppg), Perkins has charted 22 of 25 games with double-digit scoring, including the last 13 games and 21 of the last 22 games .... she has seven 20-plus efforts .... had new career-highs with 36 points, 12-of-26 field goals and 11-of-14 free throws vs. Missouri-Rolla on Feb. 21 ... her 36-point performance was the best in the MIAA this year ... has six double-doubles for the year, most recently with 24 points and 12 boards vs. MWSC on Feb. 7 ... has led the team in scoring in 14 contests this year and tied for the team lead twice ... is 12th on the Bulldog career scoring leaders list with 962 points and is seventh among all-time rebounders at Truman with 529 ... broke the school record for career blocked shots after adding five vs. Missouri Western and now has 64 since 1998 ... tied the school record for blocks in a game with five vs. MWSC ... is also second on the Truman single-season blocks list with 35, two away from the Bulldog record ... scored the game-winning bucket in the team's first win in 2000-01 vs. Quincy ... named MIAA athlete of the week for Feb. 5 after averaging 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in two games.
Keagan Thalin, Fr.: Thalin has started eight games and averages 4.0 points per contest ... had her first double-digit scoring game vs. Nebraska-Omaha with 13 points and charted her second vs. Missouri Southern on Jan. 6 with 10 points ... charted career highs with four assists vs. MSSC and with 11-of-14 performance from the charity stripe vs. Nebraska-Omaha ... was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line against Missouri Southern ... her 11 free throws vs. UNO ties for second in the MIAA for most in a single-game this year.
11-Tessa Thurman, Jr.: John Wood Community College Transfer ... leads the team with 39 long range buckets ... has seven games scoring in double digits, most recently vs. Emporia on Feb. 17 with 12 points on four three-pointers ... had a senior college career high of 14 points in the season-opener against Tampa and vs. Mt. Mercy ... made four treys against Tampa, Southwest Baptist on Feb. 10 and Emporia on Feb. 17 ... Thurman is tied for ninth on the Truman career leaders list with 39 made three-pointers and is now ninth on the career three-point field goal attempts list with 139 ... Thurman is also 10th on the Bulldog single-season list for three-pointers (39) and ninth on the single season attempts list (139).
23-Emily Turnbull, Fr.: Turnbull has played in every game and earned her first start against Emporia on Jan. 20 ... started seven contests ... tied for second on the team with 48 assists and averages 2.4 points a game ... had career highs with 12 points, seven free throws and 10 FT attempts against Missouri Western on Jan. 10.
24-Annie Westhoff, Fr.: Garnered a starting role in the last 19 games ... third in team scoring (9.5 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (5.2 rpg) ... had double-digit scoring efforts in 11 games ... had a career-high and led the team with 21 points vs. Pittsburg on Jan. 27 ... also led the team with 17 points vs. Missouri Western on Jan. 10 and with 16 points vs. Northwest Missouri on Feb. 14 ... had her first double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds vs. St. Joseph's on Nov. 24 ... had two blocked shots vs. St. Joseph's and Pittsburg on Jan. 27. ... led the team with four steals vs. Mt. Mercy and leads the team for the season in thefts with 35 ... had three steals vs. Emporia last Saturday.
Ashlea Wood, Fr.: Has come off the bench in 24 games this year and made her first career start against Pittsburg on Jan. 27, charting career-highs with 10 points, four made field goals, eight field goal attempts, her first three-pointer and three assists ... also started against CMSU on Jan. 31 ... had a career-high with eight rebounds against Missouri Western on Jan. 10 which tied for the team game high ... was 3-for-3 from the free throw line vs. Mt. Mercy.
Truman vs. Pittsburg State on jan. 27, 2001: Ashlea Wood had the best game of her career and scored the Bulldogs' first four points against Pittsburg back in January. However the two teams would battle through 10 tied scores in the first half before Truman took a slim 39-38 lead at intermission.
PSU tied the score again just seconds into the second stanza with a free throw. The Gorillas out-scored the 'Dogs 14-4 in the first five minutes of the second half to take a 10-point lead. Truman cut that lead to four by the 13-minute mark following a 6-0 run in which Fletcher made a layup and free throw, and grabbed an offensive rebound and fed it to Fisher for the trey.
The Gussies answered with a 7-0 run to take their greatest lead of the game, 11 points, with 12 minutes to go.
Again the 'Dogs rallied out-scoring PSU 14-3 to tie the score at 63 with 8:16 left. Truman then took the lead on a layup by Annie Westhoff, but the Gorillas then made a pair of free throws to tie the score at 65. Wood made a free throw to give Truman its last lead of the game, 66-65. That would also be the last point scored by the Bulldogs as PSU held the 'Dogs scoreless the final six-and-a-half minutes to register a 72-66 win in Kirksville.
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