Truman basketball head coaches Matt Woodley and Michael Smith have announced their respective schedules for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.
The teams will have 11 combined home doubleheaders and both get underway with high profile exhibitions.
Highlighting the preseason portion of the slates are back-to-back nights of Bulldog basketball in Columbia, as the Truman women face the Big XII’s University of Missouri on Tues., Nov. 1 before the men take their aim at the Tigers on Wed., Nov. 2.
First-year head coach Matt Woodley’s men’s squad will also tussle with a pair of Missouri Valley programs in Missouri State (Oct. 27) and Indiana State (Nov. 5) before getting to non-conference Div. II action.
Fourth-year head coach Michael Smith has his women’s squad, fresh off its first MIAA postseason tournament appearance since 2008, opening the regular season with four straight home games,
including a Nov. 22 doubleheader with the men against long-time rival Quincy (Ill.) University. The Bulldog women host Lindenwood-Belleville on Nov. 12 at 1:00 pm in their season-opener.
Meanwhile, the Bulldog men will hit the road for five of their eight non-conference games, including a season-opening test at the Wildcat Classic in Abilene, Texas.
While there, the ’Dogs will face host-Abilene Christian on Nov. 11 in the season-opener before taking on another Lone Star Conference member, Angelo State, on Nov. 12.
Truman will return home to face Central Christian (Mo.) College on Nov. 15 at 7:30 pm in its home debut.
The two squads share nearly a similar schedule for the final 20 games, as MIAA play opens with a Nov. 30 doubleheader in Joplin at Missouri Southern. After back-to-back home games against Pittsburg (Kan.) State and Southwest Baptist (Mo.) on Dec. 3 and 7, the teams hit the road for five of the next six, spanning the turn of the calendar into 2012. A lone Jan. 2 doubleheader against Fort Hays (Kan.) State marks the winter break home schedule, as both teams will be off for 16 days from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2.
The round-robin schedule then benefits the Bulldog squads down the stretch, as seven of the final 11 MIAA doubleheaders will be held in Pershing Arena. Included in that stretch is a three-game homestand late in the year, highlighting games against Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western and Lincoln from Feb. 15-22, before the regular season draws to a close at Central Missouri on Feb. 25.
Both teams will fill a one-week gap late in the season created by Nebraska-Omaha’s sudden departure from the league earlier this year, as the women will travel to the St. Louis area to face McKendree (Ill.) on Feb. 11 while the men welcome Hannibal-LaGrange on Feb. 13.
Once again, the MIAA tournament will be held at historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City on March 1-4.
All times are subject to change as the season approaches. All updates and upcoming ticket information will be made available later this fall at TrumanBulldogs.com.
Courtesy Truman State University