Bulldogs Use Three-Point Flurry to Down 'Bods

KIRKSVILLE - - The Truman men’s basketball team put four players in double-figures, led by senior guard Alex Henderson’s 23, and snapped a four-game slide with an 83-78 Saturday afternoon win against Washburn University.

The Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3 MIAA) hit eight-of-13 three-pointers in the second half, including a stretch of five in five minutes to pull away after trailing by two, 36-34, at the intermission. Sophomore Tom Norton (Bloomington, Ill., Bloomington Catholic), who finished the game with 19 points, gave the Bulldogs the lead at the 16:30 mark of the second half at 42-40 to start a 24-12 run that was capped by an Isaac Gardner (Washington, Iowa, Washington)triple with 8:55 to play in the game. That gave the ’Dogs their biggest lead to that point, 63-52, before another Gardner triple two minutes later pushed the margin to 13 at 71-58.

Washburn closed the deficit to five three times in the final three minutes before a De’Andre Washington three-pointer cut Truman’s lead to four, 82-78, with 11 seconds to play. But Henderson (Willard, Mo., Willard) drained one of two from the free throw line to eliminate any four-point play possibility, and the ’Dogs held on for the 83-78 final.

Henderson maintained his stretch of reaching double-figures in each game so far this season by finishing with 23 points on 5-of-10 shooting. The conference-leader from long-range, the senior hit three triples and went 10-for-11 from the charity stripe. Norton (19), Filchev (13) and Freeman (10) capped four starters in double-figures, while Filchev (Plovdiv, Bulgaria, GPCHE) pulled down ten rebounds for his second straight double-double. The Bulldogs got 72 of their 83 points from its starters, as Gardner came off the bench for nine.

For the game, Truman shot 27-for-53 (51%) from the field and 12-for-25 (48%) from three-point range. The ’Dogs also hit 17-of-25 (68%) of their free throw chances, while WU struggled from the charity stripe at 3-for-11. The Ichabods (5-3, 2-2 MIAA) took 19 more field goal attempts and hit six more (33-for-72), but went 9-for-29 from deep (31%).

The ’Dogs out-rebounded WU, 40-34, and had 31 defensive rebounds to the Ichabods’ 22. Truman also got a career-high seven assists from Freeman (Urbandale, Iowa, Urbandale), as the Bulldogs posted assists on 17 of their 27 made buckets.

Washington led Washburn with 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Truman will take the week off for finals before returning to action next Saturday (Dec. 18) evening at 7:30 pm in Pershing Arena against Emporia State. That game will mark Truman’s last game in December.