The Truman State University women’s basketball team looks to redeem itself this season after a buzzer-beating loss in the first game of the GLVC Tournament against Maryville University.
Senior forward Sam Andrews said the loss stayed with the players, and the motto “unfinished business” now serves as their motivation. The Bulldogs have been working hard in the offseason with this new mindset to finish what they started.
“We realize what we each need to work on individually, and then take this and bring it together as a team,” Andrews said.
This team has a lot of players with experience and leadership to offer. The team is loaded with six seniors — four of which have been in the program for four years. After losing one of their key players, alumna Cassidy Clark, the coaches had some big shoes to fill.
The program brought in four freshmen and a transfer Div. I player from Nebraska. Assistant coach Theo Dean said the team is brimming with potential and is ready to take the court.
“We are looking forward to capitalizing on our senior leadership this season to help get our freshmen on board and used to playing college basketball,” Dean said.
Dean said the team’s goals and expectations are the same every year — to improve during the season so the team plays its best basketball from late February to early March.
The Bulldogs took the court Saturday Nov. 11 and started the season with a 77-65 win against Missouri Valley College. Some of the top players in the game were redshirt junior guard Brooke Bailey who scored 16 points, sophomore guard Sloane Totta with 11 points and freshman guard Tiffany Davenport and Hartwig combined for 17 points.
The team’s first road game of the season ended in a 72-57 loss to Augustana College Monday. Freshman center Katie Jaseckas recorded her first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in her second ever game. The Bulldogs were never able to recover from a 7-point first quarter deficit.
Truman will play its next game Saturday, Nov. 18 against Missouri Southern State University. The team will follow that game with the Ramada Inn Thanksgiving Classic from Nov. 24-25 in Topeka, Kansas.