Rolla, Mo. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners made a season low 13 field goals and were held to its second worst shooting day of the season at 25.5 percent in a 51-42 loss against Truman State on Thursday. The Bulldogs (14-6, 8-2 GLVC) entered the contest as the top defensive team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference allowing only 54.7 points a game and second in defensive field goal percentage at 35.2 percent.

S&T (6-11, 2-8 GLVC) got off to a great start hitting 5 of their first 10 attempts from the floor building an eight point lead seven minutes into the game. After that Truman tightened the screws defensively over the final three minutes of the stanza forcing five turnovers, two missed shots and ended the quarter on a 6-0 run.

The Lady Miners scored the first five points of the second frame to extend the lead to seven but couldn't shake the Bulldogs. S&T had its chances to extend the lead as Truman was struggling to shoot the ball as well but foul trouble on the Lady Miners allowed the 'Dogs to hang around and eventually tie the game just before the half.

S&T shot only 32 percent (8-for-25) in the opening half but was only 3-of-13 in the second stanza. Bria Pierce (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North) led the Lady Miners with seven points while Jamy Douvier (Sedgwick, Kan./Sunrise Christian Academy) added five and Sandra Douvier (Sedgwick, Kan./Sunrise Christian Academy) dropped in four.

Truman made just 6 of its 23 attempts (26.1 percent) in the first 20 minutes but was 6-for-8 at the foul line. Michalina Tomczak, Kasey Gassensmith and Cassidy Clark had four points each to lead the Bulldogs.

The game took a dramatic turn in the third quarter as Truman outscored S&T 17-4 in the frame and held them to just 1-of-13 shooting while the Dogs offense perked up shooting 45 percent (5-for-11) from the floor and was 6-of-8 at the foul line. They outscored the Lady Miners 13-1 over the final five minutes of the period capped off by a three-pointer at the buzzer by Mackenzie Jerks.

S&T fought back in the fourth quarter outscoring Truman 8-1 over the first four minutes but were unable to get any closer than that as the Bulldogs made just enough shots down the stretch.

Pierce was the lone Lady Miner in double figures with 14 points while Raetchel Gray (Allen, Okla./Byng ) dropped in seven. J. Douvier finished with five, S. Douvier and Joe'l Bland (St. Charles, Mo./Homeschooled) had four each. S&T outrebounded Truman 40-to-31 but turned the ball over 20 times resulting in 18 points for the Bulldogs.

Truman wasn't much better shooting the ball making only 14 of 44 shots (31.6 percent) but did shoot 72.4 percent (21-for-29) at the charity stripe. Rachel Steinhoff finished with a game-high 14 points while Tomczak added 11. Gassensmith and Clark contributed eight points each.

The Lady Miners continue their four game homestand on Saturday hosting the Quincy Lady Hawks in a 1 p.m. tip-off at Billy Key Court. The Lady Hawks had their nine game winning streak snapped with a 76-65 loss at Drury on Thursday.