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

Looking to snap a three-game skid, the Truman men’s basketball team heads to nationally-ranked Washburn on Wednesday (Jan. 16) night . 

The Bulldogs (5-9, 2-4 MIAA) suffered a pair of five-point home defeats last Thursday and Saturday, falling 85-80 to Central Oklahoma on January 10 before dropping a 65-60 decision to Emporia State on January 12.

Mr. 1K:
Tom Norton is inching closer to the 1,000-point club, as he sits with 982 career points entering this week’s action.

There are 24 members of Truman’s 1,000-point club, with the most recent inductees including 2011 graduates Alex Henderson (22^nd; 1,031) and Ethan Freeman (24^th; 1,008).
 
Carlson Posts Massive Week:
Despite a pair of team losses last week, Mike Carlson had a great week on both ends of the court statistically, averaging 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. He shot 58% from the field (14-for-24) and hit 11-of-14 free throws (78.6%).

He recorded his fifth 20+ point game of the season and eighth of his career with 24 against UCO and has now reached double-figures offensively in 13 of the team’s 14 games this year.
 
The Reliables:
Mike Carlson and Seth Jackson are the only two Bulldogs to start all 14 games this season, while both freshman guards Cole and Cory Myers have started 13 of the team’s 14 contests.
 
“Free”bies:
Overall in six MIAA games, the Bulldogs are shooting 78.6% (99-for-126) from the charity stripe.

 Helping contribute to those numbers was a 40-for-44 (90.9%) performance against LU and LWU two weeks ago in which Seth Jackson was 11-for-11, both Mike Carlson and Tom Norton went 6-for-8, and Cory Myers went 5-for-5.

Scouting the Ichabods:
Nationally-ranked Washburn (No. 13 last week) enters Wednesday night’s contest with a 10-2 overall (3-1 MIAA) mark, having most recently downed Fort Hays State (70-69) and Nebraska-Kearney (72-56) on the road last weekend. The Ichabods are 5-0 at home this season but will be playing just their second MIAA game in Lee Arena.
 
Will McNeil (19.1 ppg/6.8 rpg) is the team’s offensive leader, with Martin Mitchell (15.6 ppg) adding additional support behind 46% three-point field goal shooting.

Bobby Chipman is the team’s top balanced player at 9.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per outing.
 
As a team, WU is shooting 45% from the floor, 32% from three-point range and 70% from the charity stripe. They are outrebounding opponents by 2.6 per game and have turned their opponents over 72 more times than they’ve given it away.
 
Bob Chipman is in his 34^th season at WU and has a 731-298 record at the school.

Courtesy Truman State University