Box Score

 

Feb. 4, 2009

TOPEKA, KAN. – For the second time in as many games, the Truman women’s basketball team was within two possessions of a top-ten squad with less than five minutes to play, but the No. 10 Washburn Lady Blues clamped down defensively and scored the game’s final nine points to pull away for a 61-46 win against Truman on Wednesday night.

 

Senior Georgia Mueller joined the MIAA’s elite rebounders, passing Emily Bloss (ESU; 1997-2001) to move into 10th all-time on the MIAA’s rebounding chart with 827 career boards. Her seven on Wednesday night against Washburn was a game-high, and she led all scorers with 15 points.

 

Neither team could produce much offensively during the first 20 minutes, as the squads headed to the break with Washburn (18-3, 11-3 MIAA) holding just a five-point gap at 22-17.

 

The Lady Blues opened up a 12-point lead with 9:47 to play before the Bulldogs (4-17, 1-13 MIAA) chipped it down to a 52-46 WU advantage, capped off by a pair of Mueller free throws with 3:42 remaining.

 

From there, though, the MIAA’s top defense forced Truman into long possessions and two late turnovers to eventually pick up its 14th straight win in the all-time series with a 15-point margin.

 

Mueller was joined offensively by a pair of Bulldogs – junior Laura Joya and freshman Breanna Daniels – adding nine points apiece, while sophomore Malorie Kiecker scored six points and pulled down six rebounds.

 

Three Lady Blues finished in double-figures, headlined by the conference’s top scorer Janice Bright’s 13. Bright was held six points below her season average and failed to score 20 points for the first time in ten games.

 

Truman returns to Pershing Arena to kick off a three-game homestand this Saturday, starting with the Southwest Baptist Bearcats at 1:00 p.m. SBU currently sits eighth in the MIAA and is three and a half games ahead of the Bulldogs in the conference standings.