The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

The Truman men’s basketball team will kick off a three-game road trip on Saturday afternoon when it travels to MIAA-leading Northwest Missouri State for a 3:30 pm tipoff in Maryville, Mo.
 
The Bulldogs (4-9, 2-4 MIAA) are out to snap a three-game skid, which includes a 63-58 loss on Monday to then-9th-ranked Fort Hays State.

Truman trailed by just one with six minutes to play but could not take the lead before the Tigers iced the game from the free throw line.
 
Northwest Missouri (11-1, 5-1 MIAA), meanwhile, comes in having won two straight road games since the Christmas holiday, downing Lincoln 80-62 on Dec. 30 before handing rival Missouri Western a 64-53 setback on Wednesday night.

The Bearcats are perfect at home this year, running to a 6-0 record inside Bearcat Arena.
 
The Bulldogs and Bearcats are two of the MIAA’s three remaining charter members since the league’s inception 100 years ago in 1912, leading to one of the longest all-time series histories in the conference.

Saturday afternoon will be the 191st meeting between the purple and green, with Northwest holding a 99-91 advantage dating back to the first meeting on Feb. 3, 1920.
 
Last season, the two teams split with each winning on its home court. Truman picked up a 73-58 win in Pershing Arena on Jan. 8 before the Bearcats jumped out quickly at home and cruised to an 89-46 win in Maryville on Feb. 16.

Then-senior Alex Henderson was the only Bulldog to score in double-figures in both games, while senior Vesko Filchev scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in Truman’s home victory.
 
Truman’s last win in Maryville came on Feb. 1, 2006, as the Bulldogs picked up a 76-71 victory.

Austin Kirby led all Bulldogs with 24 points behind seven three-pointers, while Derek Lindsey (14), Nick Certa (11) and Andy Calmes (10) also finished in double-figures.

Three to Watch:

1.     TSU three-point shooting vs. NWMSU three-point defending. The Bulldogs rank 3rd in the MIAA with seven three-pointers made per game, while the Bearcats are the MIAA’s best at defending the arc – holding opponents to just 29%.

2.     Battle of the Glass. One of Truman’s strengths this season has been its defensive rebounding, ranking fourth in the MIAA.

       Meanwhile, one of Northwest’s top deficiencies is in its inability to produce second-chance opportunities, as the Bearcats are last in the league in offensive rebounds.

3.     Getting Out Quickly. Northwest Missouri has led at the half in all but two games this season – trailing only against Washburn and Fort Hays.

        The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have led or been tied at the half seven times, including each of its four victories.
 
A Fast Check of the Regulars:

       ·Junior guard Tom Norton is the team’s leading scorer at 11.6 ppg, headlining four players in double-figures.

        He has made 31 triples this season and is 34-for-42 (81%) from the free throw line.

·       Freshman Seth Jackson, at 11.2 ppg overall, is the team’s leading scorer in conference games, averaging 12.8 ppg through the first six MIAA games.

        He is averaging 23.2 minutes per game and is 40-for-49 (82%) from the line with two 20+-point games this year.

·       Redshirt freshman Mike Carlson is averaging 10.8 points and a team-high 4.5 rebounds per game.

       He has started all 13 games and co-leads the squad with nine blocks.

·       Junior transfer EJ Hicks is averaging 10.1 ppg and is the team’s assist leader (32).

·       Sophomore Isaac Gardner has made 30 triples and is averaging 8.3 points per game.

·       Freshman Patrick Burmester has started all 13 games and is averaging 4.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg. He co-leads the squad with nine blocks and is shooting 52% from the floor.

·       Freshmen Andrew Vander Zwaag (4.5 ppg, ten three-pointers) and Tyler Anderson (2.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) have missed just three combined games this season.

·       Sophomore Marek Bush has played in 12 of the team’s 13 games and is the team-leader on the offensive glass (19).

·       Senior Vesko Filchev has played in five games overall and in each of the past two, averaging 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in nearly 10 minutes per game.

          Courtesy Truman State University