Bulldog basketball heading to postseason

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021

BASKETBALL TEAMS HEAD TO POSTSEASON

Forward Alex McQuinn scores in a game against Quincy University last season. After an uncertain season, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have secured a spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. Photo from TMN Archives

Men’s, women’s basketball clinch spots in GLVC Tournaments

ELISABETH SHIRK Managing Editor

For the past several months, athletes across the country have been wondering what their seasons are going to look like or if they’re even going to have a season. Truman State University men’s and women’s basketball players pondered these questions just a few short months ago and after a season riddled with uncertainty and pandemic-related adversity, both teams are about to head into the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

The men’s team is currently the No. 1 seed for the tournament with a record of 16-1. The women’s team is currently sitting at a record of 12-3, but its official seeding has yet to be announced. The GLVC tournaments are scheduled to take place March 3-7.

The men still have two more games to play before the tournament — one tonight against Rockhurst University and the other Saturday against Southwest Baptist University. With the top conference spot already clinched, Assistant Coach Austin McBeth said the team is not worried about these last games in regard to the conference tournament, but hopes strong performances tonight and Saturday will help Truman’s seeding in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament March 12-16.

“I think sometimes you get to the postseason and think you have to be the Space Jam version of yourself to be successful and my hope for our guys in the postseason is that they just continue to be the team they’ve been all year,” McBeth said.

This season, the men’s team has dealt with multiple players going into quarantine at various times, but McBeth said this team is resilient.

McBeth explained that the team feels fortunate to be able to play and is not taking any games for granted.

“It’s just been really cool to see, in a time when it seems that the world is upside down, we’ve been fortunate enough to do what we love and stay together as a team to enjoy the freedom of playing this game,” McBeth said.

As the men’s team now reflects on its personal experiences with COVID-19, the women’s team is currently dealing with multiple players who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are now in quarantine.

Guard Katey Klucking explained that the loss of these players, for the time being, has made practices a little different. She said the team has been working more on shooting and screen drills as opposed to scrimmage-based drills.

While the team hasn’t been able to practice all together, Klucking said this time is an opportunity for each available player to focus on and improve their part in the game in preparation for the GLVC Tournament.

“Going into postseason, I think it’s going to be nice because we haven’t played in a while so we’re all going to be pumped up and driven and building up to play, and I think that’s going to help us in bringing that energy once we have everyone back,” Klucking said.

Women’s Head Coach Theo Dean said he is proud of his players for working through the adversity and keeping their minds locked in on both school and basketball.

Dean noted that COVID-19 affects each person differently and playercoach communication is especially important right now.

See BASKETBALL page 12

Women’s soccer set to return to field

ETHAN HEWETT Staff Writer

The Truman State University women’s soccer season kicks off this Saturday as the Bulldogs host the Missouri University of Science & Technology Miners at Bulldog Soccer Park.

It has been 473 days since the team took the field in a competitive setting after the Great Lakes Valley Conference moved the 2020 season to this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the players and coaches are grateful and excited they get to finally play a season.

“I think everyone’s really excited to play a game against another team other than just scrimmaging against ourselves in practice,” Forward Chance Douglass said.

Douglass said having the chance to get back on the field has been a big motivation for herself and the team.

Douglass mentioned one of the most significant differences between this past offseason and the preseason was the absence of scrimmages. Typically, the team plays a couple of scrimmage games against other teams. However, in response to COVID-19, the team resorted to in-house workouts.

Midfielder Paige Peterson said the team focused more on lifting and conditioning during the time off. Peterson added that the offseason was a lot different due to the timing of the pandemic.

See WOMENS SOCCER page 11 Guard Katey Klucking dribbles the ball in a game last season. Klucking said the team is focused on improving individual skills while some of the team is in quarantine. Photo from TMN Archives

Men’s soccer to start new spring season

STEVEN FINDLEY JR. Staff Writer

Fall sports are starting to bloom in the winter season as men’s soccer is set to officially kick off Feb. 26.

The Truman State University Bulldogs finished with a 7-8-2 record last season, and have not played a match since Nov. 3, 2019 which was a victory against Lindenwood University.

Head Coach Duke Cochran is entering his 16th season at the helm, and the grizzled veteran coach laid out the season plan for his team.

“To make the top half of our conference is no easy feat,” Cochran said. “However, the expectation is finishing with a winning record.”

The men’s program has not produced a winning season since joining the GLVC in 2013, but the head coach is no stranger to winning.

Cochran said the team has great chemistry and energy flowing ahead of its season opener.

“I’m excited to let this group play against someone other than themselves,” Cochran stated. “This team is ready to make its mark and produce a winning season.”

Cochran said outdoor practices are as socially distanced as possible so masks are not mandatory, but indoor practice requires a mask at all times.

COVID-19 protocols are in place for the GLVC’s level two sports, which revolve around outdoor athletics, to keep games as safe as possible.

Midfielder Andy Brennan is entering his third season at Truman State University, coming off of 15 starts in all 15 appearances last season as a junior.

Brennan described what he expects to achieve this season, citing team success as the focus.

See MENS SOCCER page 11