Jan. 2, 2010
(KIRKSVILLE, Mo.) – Despite outshooting visiting Fort Hays State from the field, the Truman women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a 13-point difference at the free throw line in a 67-60 loss in Pershing Arena on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Breanna Daniels paced the Bulldogs with 15 points, including 11 in the second half.
The two teams went to the intermission tied at 31 after FHSU (10-2, 3-2 MIAA) led by as many as nine at two different points in the first half. After falling behind 12-3 five minutes in, Truman (6-7, 1-5 MIAA) clawed back into the contest, taking a three-point lead at 27-24 before FHSU drew even to send the teams tied to the break.
Truman got on the board first in the second half, but FHSU scored seven straight to what would eventually be its final lead, as the Tigers never relinquished its advantage the rest of the way. The Bulldogs would draw to within one at the 14:45 mark and within two at 11:11, but after trailing 45-43, FHSU rattled off a 16-2 run over the next six minutes to build its largest edge of the day, 61-45, with 5:05 to play.
The Bulldogs got seven in a row off a three-pointer and lay-up by Daniels (Ridgedale, Mo.; Hollister HS) before a jumper from 16-feet out by junior guard Amy Galey (Excelsior Springs, Mo.; Excelsior Springs HS) to knock the deficit to eight, 61-53, but the Tigers got three straight points from Erica Biel with just over a minute left to hand the Bulldogs their third straight loss.
Daniels’ team-high 15 points marked her second straight game with ten or more, and she was joined in double-figures by both senior guard Laura Joya (Wheeling, Ill.; Wheeling HS) (14) and Galey (12). Sophomore guard Jenny Dorman (Pella, Iowa; Pella HS) added seven points and five rebounds, while senior forward Sarah Seberger (Geneva, Ill.; Montini Catholic) pulled down a team-high seven boards.
The Bulldogs shot 42% from the field for the game to 39% for FHSU, but the Tigers benefited from an 18-for-25 (72%) day from the charity stripe while Truman – the MIAA’s top free throw shooting team entering the afternoon – struggled in its limited chances by going just 5-of-10.
MIAA individual scoring leader Naomi Bancroft led all players with 21 points, going 4-of-15 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line, while fellow guard Kayla Klug added 14 points. Erica Biel came up just shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulldogs finish a three-game stretch in Pershing Arena by hosting Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m.
Additional Notes:
- FHSU out-rebounded Truman, 41-34, in the game, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-7 this season in games in which they were out-rebounded. Truman is 6-0 when out-rebounding or drawing even on the glass with its opposition.
- Saturday marked the first time all season that Truman lost when holding an opponent to sub-40% from the field. The Bulldogs are 5-1 on the year when foes shoot less than 40%.
- Truman recorded seven team steals, coming from seven different people in the game.