A 29-10 run spanning the intermission helped the Pittsburg State Gorillas turn a six-point lead into a 25-point edge, as the Truman women’s basketball squad fell victim to a red-hot PSU bunch in an 83-63 Gorilla win .
After hitting just four total three-pointers combined between the first meeting in December and the first half game,
Pitt State (10-9, 8-4 MIAA) shot 9-for-13 from behind the arc in the second half to defend its home court and pick up the victory.
Truman (7-12, 2-10 MIAA) upped its shooting percentage in the second half also, jumping from 30% in the first half to 48% in the second, but after cutting the Gorilla lead to 30-24 with 1:57 to play in the opening frame, Pitt State scored the final eight before rattling off a 21-8 run in front of the first media timeout of the second half to lead, 59-34.
The lead would get to as much as 30 before the Bulldogs scored seven of the game’s final nine points to reach the 83-63 final.
Sophomore forward Breanna Daniels had her fifth straight game in double-figures, leading the Bulldogs with 11 points.
Senior forward Sarah Seberger came off the bench to add nine points, while freshman forward Megan Sharpe logged a new career-high with eight – all coming in the first half. Junior guard Amy Galey scored six points and came down with a team-high six rebounds, but the conference’s leader in assists had just one on the evening with Truman coming up with just five helpers as a team.
PSU shot 51% from the field to Truman’s 39% while holding a definitive edge from deep, outscoring the ’Dogs 33-6 from long-range. The Bulldogs did get to the foul line, hitting 17-of-23 (74%) of its chances after entering the game once again as the MIAA’s top team from the stretch.
Maya Onikute led four PSU players in double-figures with 20, and Amanda Orloske added 14. Both hit four triples, many coming from the hands of Marissa Poppe who tallied eight assists.
The Bulldogs face the conference’s two ranked squads ahead in Pershing Arena, starting with fifth-ranked Emporia State on Saturday at 1:00 pm.
Courtesy Truman State University