Feb. 27, 2009 – The Truman men’s basketball team will conclude their 2008-09 season by hosting the University of Central Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Pershing Arena. Prior to tip off, seniors Banks Estridge, Patrick Fandja and Todd Kulage will be honored.
Truman ran out of steam in the final five minutes of their last game against Missouri Western on Saturday night. The Bulldogs trailed by just two points midway through the period and five points with 7:12 left before the Griffons closed the game on an 18-4 run.
Estridge recorded his first career double-double in his penultimate game with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The senior also dished out four more assists in his 39 minutes of action to close to within seven of Jason Reinberg and sixth on the all-time assist charts.
With a win and some help, Central Missouri could be the top seed in next week’s MIAA postseason basketball tournament in Kansas City. The Mules are a game behind conference leader Southwest Baptist but with a win and a Bearcat loss, Central would gain the top seed in the tourney. The Bearcats host Missouri Western Saturday night.
The Mules, who lead the conference in scoring margin at a +15.8, won their last two games by a total of 48 points. Sanijay Watts led five Mules in double-figures with 18 points in an 84-66 victory over Missouri Western on Wednesday night in Warrensburg.
In the first meeting with the Mules, the Bulldogs had a pair of chances to tie or take the lead early in the second half but Central then went on a 14-2 run and downed Truman 76-46 back on Jan. 21st in Warrensburg.
Vesko Filchev set a career-high that night for Truman by scoring 17 points while Tremaine Luellen led the Mules with 18.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?:
The Bulldogs are looking to break an eight-game streak to the Mules and a six-game streak to Central in Pershing Arena. With a win, Truman would finish one game below .500 in Pershing Arena this season (currently 6-8).
The Bulldogs have been mathematically eliminated from a postseason tournament berth.
Central was ranked 12th in the latest National Basketball Coaches Association top 25 poll and were second in the all-important NCAA South Central regional rankings. The Mules had been in the top spot until Southwest Baptist took over this past week. The top seeded team in that tournament will host the eight-team regional later in March.
The Mules are also playing for the top seed in the MIAA tournament. If both SBU and Central tie with a 16-4 MIAA record, the Mules would be seeded higher by virtue of its 2-0 record vs. Washburn or 3-1 record vs. Washburn and Nebraska-Omaha if they should tie.
An SBU and UCM tie would give the Mules a share of the MIAA championship.
BULLDOGS BITES:
- Banks Estridge is the scoring leader for the Bulldogs this season at 10.2 points per game. Estridge leads the team with 81 assists and 43 steals. In the last five games, Estridge has averaged 4.8 assists and 2.4 steals.
- Estridge has scored 949 for his career. He is eighth in the conference in steals (1.62) and also is the team leader in free throw percentage at 77%.
- Ethan Freeman leads the team in rebounds at 5.5 boards per game. Freeman is second on the team with 53 assists and has shot 50% from the floor this season. He is second in scoring at 9.6 points per game.
- The Bulldogs have had 15 different starting lineups this season through 26 games. Only one combination (Fandja, Freeman, Estridge, Gabe Landau, Alex Henderson) has started four games together. Estridge is the only Bulldog to start all 26 games this year, while Freeman is second with 21 starts.
- In home conference games, Truman averages 60.6 points per game. The Bulldogs shoot 43% at home, 30% from beyond the arc and 64% at the free throw. Truman hits 3.1 three-pointers per game and are a +0.8 in rebounding.
- Patrick Fandja averages a team-leading 15 points per home conference game and shoots 57% from the floor. Fandja also leads in rebounding per game at 6.6 and has scored 30 more points at home than his nearest teammate Ethan Freeman (120 to 90).
- Conference opponents are scoring 68 points per game in Pershing Arena and shooting 43% overall, 36% from outside and 70% from the line.
- Over the last five games, the Bulldogs have shot 72% from the line and 44% from the field while opponents are shooting 49% from the floor.
- The Bulldogs are 5-0 when leading at the half and 6-5 with scoring over 60 points per game.
- Truman is averaging 61.3 points per game and has a season-high 97 against Central Christian College. The Bulldogs are fourth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 69.1 points per game.
- Three Bulldogs have topped 20 points in a game this season. Patrick Fandja holds the season-high with 23 points against Missouri Western last time out. Fandja also had 22 against Washburn. Banks Estridge’s 21 against UNO and Northwest is third. Ethan Freeman scored 20 against William Woods.
- Estridge, Fandja and Brandon Griffin have recorded the only double-doubles this season. Estridge scored 12 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri Western on Feb. 21st, Fandja had 23 and 11 against Missouri Western and 22 and 11 against Washburn on Dec. 13th while Griffin scored 19 and had 12 rebounds against Central Christian College on Nov. 20th.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MISSOURI:
The Mules are 9-1 in their last 10 games with the only loss coming on Feb. 18th at Nebraska-Omaha. In all this season, the Mules are 5-4 in conference games on the road.
Sanijay Watts is eighth in the MIAA in scoring at 15.6 points per game. He has been the Mules leading scorer in the last five games with a season-high 32 points against Northwest Missouri. Watts is the top shooter in the conference from the field making 59.9% of his shots.
Joe Young (14.5) and De’Andre Byrd (11.0) are the other two Central players to average in double-figures in scoring. Young is third in the conference in three-pointers made per game at 2.77 while Byrd is fourth in steals at 1.85.
Central has the top ranked defense in the conference, allowing opponents to just 64 points per game and the best three-point defensive team in the league as the opposition shoots just 27% from beyond the arc.
COACHES:
Jack Schrader is in his 14th season as head coach of the Bulldogs. He has an overall record of 153-231. Schrader has guided two Bulldog team to the NCAA Division II tournament. The 1998-99 team finished their season at the NCAA Final Four, while the 2005-06 team was a participant in the NCAA South Central regional.
Truman has only had three men’s basketball coaches since 1946, Boyd King (1946-1971), Willard Sims (1971-1995) and Schrader (1996-present). Schrader has twice been named the MIAA and NABC South Central region Coach of the Year.
Coach Schrader picked up his 150th victory of his career as Bulldog head coach in a 97-71 win over Central Christian on Nov. 20th. He is currently third all-time among Truman coaches trailing Boyd King (379 wins) and Williard Sims (310 wins).
Kim Anderson is in his seventh season at Central Missouri. Anderson has a career record at Central of 149-59. Prior to his coaching position in Warrensburg, Anderson was an assistant commissioner of the Big 12 and an assistant coach at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
SERIES:
This is the 184th meeting between Truman and Central Missouri in basketball, the second-most games played between Truman and an opponent (Northwest Missouri – 187 games). The Mules lead the all-time series 118-66.
Truman’s last win came on Feb. 22, 2006, a 77-69 victory in Warrensburg. The Bulldogs last home win was a 58-54 triumph on Feb. 4, 2002.
The Mules have won the last eight games with two of the contests needing overtime before going Central’s way.