Jennies let one slip away, 61-59

               The Truman State Bulldogs scored the final six points of the game rallying from a four point deficit to down the Central Missouri Jennies, 61-59 on Wednesday evening at Pershing Arena in Kirksville. The loss snapped UCM’s seven game winning streak in the series and in Pershing Arena.
            The Jennies (11-6, 4-4 MIAA) trailed most of the second half before taking their first lead at 49-48 on a Lindsey Maple free throw, which was part of a 11-0 run that gave them a five point lead. Truman’s (7-10, 2-7 MIAA), Natalie Schupbach hit five straight at the foul line to tie the game at 53-53. On the ensuing possession Maple gave UCM its lead right back with an old-fashioned three point play and an Ashley Millham lay-up with 2:47 remaining. Schupbach answered with a lay-up of her own to cut it back to three. Millham would hit one of two from the foul line to push the lead back to four with 1:52 to play.
            The Jennies had their chances to put the Bulldogs away, but they turned the ball over three times in the final minute. Truman tied the game on Julie Ginn’s second lay-up with 33 seconds remaining. UCM chose to hold the ball for the final shot, but Candace McGee stole the ball from Maple, dished to Ginn who passed it to Katie Fowler to hit the game winning lay-up with three seconds left. The Jens had one chance left but Meagan Fromm’s inbound pass was stolen by McGee as time expired. The difference in the game was at the foul line where the Jennies were 15-for-24 while the Bulldogs finished the game 16-of-17.
            In the opening frame, Central Missouri led by as much as nine before TSU went on a 17-8 run to send the teams into the locker room tied at the half at 26-26. The Jennies shot 40 percent (10-of-25) from the floor, but turned it over 13 times compared to only eight miscues for the Bulldogs. Maple had 11 in the stanza to lead the Jens while Schupbach led Truman with 11.
            Maple finished the game with 26 points to lead all scorers. Megan Schoenfeld was the only other Jennie in double figures with 10 off the bench.
            Schupbach led the way for TSU with 22 points and Fowler contributed 10.