The Bulldogs (4-2, 3-0 MIAA) have now won their first three games in MIAA play for the first time since the 1999-2000 season and sit atop the conference, while SBU drops to 4-3 overall (1-2 MIAA). Truman will return home to face No. 4 Washburn (6-0, 2-0 MIAA) on Saturday (Dec. 11) afternoon at 1 pm.
“Any time you can go on the road and get a win, it’s great,” head coach Michael Smith said in a post-game interview. “We had a six to eight minute defensive lapse in the second half, but in the end, we found a way to win. To start 3-0 in conference play is a big confidence boost for us.”
Following an SBU basket that put the Bearcats ahead, 16-15, the Bulldogs closed the half on a 20-4 run over the final 11 minutes to take a 35-20 lead into the intermission. Punctuated by Becka McHenry jumper at the buzzer, Truman shot 75% (15-of-20) from the field in the first 20 minutes and was led by 15 points from freshman Nicole Gloor.
But after Erin Glogovsky drained a three-pointer on Truman’s first possession and the two squads traded baskets, SBU began its comeback. The Bearcats eventually tied the score at 54 apiece with 8:14 to play and took a two-point edge off a Bulldog turnover on the next trip down the court.
The teams traded the lead, with neither building more than a three-point cushion until the 1:40 mark, when the Bearcats’ Whitney Malone converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the ’Cats a 65-61 lead. But, Breanna Daniels returned the favor with a hoop-and-harm of her own before turning a Bearcat miscue into another layup and one-point lead with 57 seconds to play.
The squads traded turnovers, and the Bulldogs forced a miss, leading to free throws for Amy Galey. Galey hit the first and missed the second, but Gloor was right there for the offensive rebound and was immediately fouled.
She missed the front end of her two-shot try but hit the second, leading to an SBU timeout with 19 seconds left and a 68-65 Bulldog edge. The Bearcats’ leading three-point specialist, Courtney Heady, saw her long-range try rim out before a desperation heave by Jaquavia Couch also missed, securing the Bulldog victory.
It was a career night for Galey, as she tied her Truman high with 15 points by hitting 5-of-6 field goals and all four three-point attempts. Gloor took home top scoring honors with 20 on 9-of-11 shooting, while Daniels also hit double-figures with 11 after being saddled with two fouls most of the first half. The Bulldogs shot 60.9% (28-for-46) from the field for the game but turned the ball over 25 times and surrendered 19 offensive rebounds, leading to 19 extra shots for SBU. The Bearcats, though, aided the visiting ’Dogs by shooting just 34% (22-for-65) and 6-of-27 (22%) from long-range.
On the night, Truman out-rebounded the Bearcats by one, 32-31, and picked up three blocked shots. The Bulldogs have won four straight and eight of their last 11 dating back to last season.
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