Box Score

 

Feb. 18, 2009 – Northwest Missouri State guard Mike Larsen scored 11 of his 14 points in the final 5:30 seconds on Wednesday night to lift the Bearcats to a 62-51 victory over the Truman men’s basketball team.  The Bulldogs had just cut the Bearcat lead down to three before Larsen dropped consecutive threes.

 

Northwest (12-12/7-10 MIAA) blistered the nets in the first half and used a 16-3 run midway through the period to take a 28-17 lead. 

 

Hunter Henry was able to get a pair of Bulldogs, Patrick Fandja and Ethan Freeman, into foul trouble and scored 14 of his game high 19 points in the first half.

 

For the third straight game, Truman (6-19/1-17 MIAA) shuffled the second half lineup and after allowing the Bearcats to take their largest lead of 14 with 14:43 left climbed back into it with a 15-4 run. 

 

Alex Henderson’s three-pointer pushed the Bulldogs to within five with 7:13 left and then Banks Estridge forced a steal and went the distance for the layup and a three-point Bearcat lead with just under six to go.

 

Northwest called a timeout to stop the run and Larsen responded by drilling the right-wing three-pointer. 

 

Henderson was whistled for an offensive foul and Larsen knocked down another trey to push the lead back to nine on the ensuing possession.

 

Stefan Garrison got two points back for the Bulldogs after a Freeman steal but Henry hit from long range with 3:12 to go to put Northwest back up by 10.

 

After a Patrick Fandja bucket, Larsen dialed in again from outside with 2:27 left to put the game out of reach.

 

Fandja led the Truman scorers with 14 points and Garrison added 12.

 

Truman will face Missouri Western on Saturday night in St. Joseph in their final road game of the 2008-09 season.  The Griffons were idle on Wednesday.