The Truman Women’s Basketball team was picked seventh in the MIAA Coaches Poll and eighth in the conference media poll that was released on Wednesday by the league office.
The Bulldogs return four starters from last year’s 17-10 team that qualified for their second straight conference tournament.
The top two leading scorers from last season return in senior Becca McHenry (14.2/ppg) and Jennifer Conway (11.6/ppg; 6.0 rpg). In fact,
Truman returns six of the top seven scorers from last season and nearly 75% of all points scored.
Juniors Nicole Gloor (9.6 ppg) and Bianca Szafarowicz (4.3/ppg) along with sophomore Allie Norton (9.0/ppg) will be joined when volleyball season ends by senior Megan Sharpe (6.3/ppg).
Other returners include sophomores Allison Wiese (1.6/ppg), Sarah Gaeddert (1.1 ppg) and redshirt freshmen Michelle Tomczak.
Newcomers include junior transfer Amy Briggs (Lansing, Kan./Johnson County CC) and freshmen Courtney Strait (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy HS), Kasey Gassensmith (Wheaton, Ill./Warrensville South HS) and Jessica Redd (Philadelphia, Mo./Marion County HS)
The Bulldogs garnered 112 votes in the coaches’ poll to place behind Central Missouri and ahead of conference newcomer Central Oklahoma for seventh while in the media ballot, the Bulldogs were behind the Bronchos with 152 points and well in front of another newcomer Lindenwood (Mo.) University who came in with 117 points.
The team will play a pair of exhibition games prior to their season and home opener on November 17 against McKendree (Ill) University. Truman will play Missouri State on November 4 and the University of Illinois-Chicago on November 9.
With the addition of four schools in the MIAA, (Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State-Oklahoma, Nebraska-Kearney and Lindenwood) the conference schedule will see a different format this year.
The schools have been divided into three, five-team pods for scheduling purposes. Each school will play home and home within their pod and then play one other game against schools from the other pods.
All conference games will count toward the standings with no divisional or pod breakdown.
Truman’s pod will consist of Lindenwood, Southwest Baptist (Mo.), Lincoln (Mo.) and the University of Central Missouri.
The other two pods are: Northeastern (Okla.) State, Pittsburg (Kan.) State, Central Oklahoma, Emporia (Kan.) State and Missouri Southern while Washburn (Kan.), Fort Hays (Kan.) State, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney are in the third pod.
The conference slate opens with a road game on December 5th at Missouri Western and at home on December 8th against Missouri Southern.
Other highlights include a Thanksgiving weekend tournament in Jefferson City against Missouri Western and Harris-Stowe (Mo.) State and a trip to the California Baptist Tournament in Riverside.
The Bulldogs will play three future Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents with games against McKendree on November 17, Rockhurst (Mo.) on November 28 and the featured doubleheader with the men’s program on November 20th at Quincy (Ill.) University.
Courtesy Truman State University
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