Feb. 13, 2010
(OMAHA, Neb.) – The Truman men’s basketball team led by 11 early in the second half, but a 20-0 run just a few minutes later by the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks was enough to put the home squad ahead for good, as the Bulldogs dropped an 82-78 decision on Saturday afternoon in Sapp Fieldhouse.
UNO (17-6, 10-6 MIAA) jumped out to a quick lead, scoring eight of the game’s first 10 points before Truman (4-20, 2-15) started clawing back into the game, tying the score at 15 on an old-fashioned three-point play by junior Alex Henderson (Willard, Mo.; Willard) with 12:32 left in the first half. The Mavericks held a slim lead and Truman tied it two more times before junior Stefan Garrison (Osceola, Mo.; Osceola) gave the ’Dogs their first lead at 23-22 at the 10:49 mark.
The two squads see-sawed before Truman pieced together an 8-2 run after the score was tied at 33 to go ahead 41-35 with 1:18 to play, but the Mavs got the last word of the first 20 minutes, getting a jumper by Tyler Bullock to close it out, sending the teams to the break with Truman ahead, 41-37.
The second half was all about runs, as after another Bullock jumper the Bulldog lead to 43-41, Truman scored 12 in a row to move ahead 55-41, capped by three free throws from Henderson with 16:14 to play in the game.
But following a three-pointer by freshman guard Tom Norton (Bloomington, Ill.; Central Catholic) that put the ’Dogs ahead 58-47, the Mavericks went off, scoring 20 in a row during a six-minute Bulldog scoring slump to jump in front, 67-58, with 8:02 to play. It was a Norton three that stopped the rally, as a three-pointer with 7:16 on the clock drew the ’Dogs to within six before Garrison drained a jumper at the 6:10 mark to cut the UNO lead to four, 67-63.
After UNO got the lead back up to eight two more times, the Bulldogs closed to within five on a jumper by Brian Nwelue (Lewisville, Texas; Lewisville) with 58 seconds left. Andrew Bridger sank a pair to put UNO back up seven, but junior Mark Misiewicz (Clinton, Iowa; Clinton) hit a three-pointer with 38 seconds to play to get the lead down to 80-76. But time ran out on a Truman comeback, as UNO hit two more free throws to hold on for the 82-78 final.
Four Bulldogs finished in double-figures, led by a 19 point, 11 rebound outing from junior forward Ethan Freeman (Urbandale, Iowa; Urbandale) and 15 points and 10 rebounds from sophomore center Vesko Filchev (Plovdiv, Bulgaria; GPCHE). Norton hit five three-pointers en route to 17 points to go with four assists, while Garrison finished with 13 points and a trio of three-pointers. Henderson chipped in seven points and handed out a team-high five assists.
Truman shot 42% (27-for-65) from the field and went 9-for-24 (38%) from three-point distance, while also finishing 15-for-20 (75%) at the charity stripe.
Bullock led all players with 24 points, with Bridger finishing with a double-double of his own at 11 points and 10 assists.
The Bulldogs will return to Pershing Arena next week for its final two home games of the season, starting Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. against Northwest Missouri State.