The Tale of Two Halves: The Loss of the Jackets against Truman State

By Danielle Cherry

There was an air of nerves and excitement as the Cedarville University women’s basketball team played their first game of the season on November 8 against Truman State University. This year, the Jackets welcomed seven new freshmen, making the team relatively new to playing together. They fell to the Bulldogs 74-61 in the season opener. 

Cedarville and Truman fought back and forth in the first quarter, never allowing either team to hold onto the lead. The Jackets initially seemed disoriented, passing the ball and waiting for the perfect shot. But as the quarter progressed and the Jackets grew in confidence, their shots started to fall.

“The team saw success in the first half and saw that they are really good and can be good,” Coach Addy Miller said. 

Amidst some confusion on the court, the Lady Jackets fought back. They received instruction from coaches and teammates and took the lead in a first quarter that ended with a beautiful three pointer. The team stood on their feet as the quarter ended 17-15.

Despite Cedarville being in the lead, Truman State came out fighting in the second quarter. Yellow Jacket Amaris Betts swished a three pointer only for the Bulldogs to follow with a layup. Cedarville’s defense was broken through and point after point went to Truman State. Cedarville ended the second quarter leading 40-37, even though the team was not as strong on the defense of the ball.

“In the first half, both teams came out and shot the ball well, neither team defended great,” said Head Coach Miller. 

When the women stepped back onto the court after halftime, there was excitement among fans as Cedarville ended the first with a lead. But within two minutes, Cedarville made no shots and committed four fouls, giving the Bulldogs four trips to the line in a row. Enraged cries echoed from the stands, and even Dr. and Mrs. White’s voices were heard over the crowd shouting the injustice of the fouls.

The Yellow Jackets were downtrodden, slowly losing points to Truman State who kept up their energy. Cedarville was putting up more shots, but the Bulldogs were shooting 61% from the field. 

Truman gained a 12 point lead on the Jackets despite Cedarville hustling up and down the court to keep up with the Bulldogs.

“We came out [shooting] flat after half time … our energy had to stay where it was ending the first half, and for this game it didn’t,” Miller said. 

Even though the Jackets were losing, some athletes stood out who boosted team morale with their point additions. Ka’Miah Pyror ended the third quarter with vigor, driving toward the basket for an and-one. KaCee Kyle showed her team what it meant to forge forward, earning 14 points as the leading shooter of the game.

Over the course of the competition, Cedarville committed 22 fouls to Truman’s 15, causing some players to foul out or teeter the line. Fueled by anger at the foul calls, the Jackets fought and looked for an open shot. Truman ended the game with a 13 point lead and beat Cedarville with a final score of 74-61.  

“I wouldn’t change anything, but I think we need to continue to emphasize the defense of the ball,” Miller said. “Offense will come and go, but defense has to be consistent, it is something we can control.”

The Jackets showed resilience against a talented team and never gave up even when calls were not in their favor. On November 9, the Jackets will face Quincy University where they will have the opportunity to hone their defense skills.

“We talk all the time about details being important and I think that the team will learn from this for sure,” said Coach Miller. 

Danielle Cherry is a freshman Biology major and writer for Cedars A&E and sports. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and loves a good cup of coffee.

Photo by Logan Howard