SETTING THE SCENE
The UMSL women's basketball team returns home to host Truman State on Thursday for its lone game in the Mark Twain Building in a five-game stretch. The Tritons then travel to Quincy on Saturday and also travel to Maryville on Monday, to complete three games in five days. UMSL is 6-6 overall, including 2-2 in the GLVC, and is looking to snap a two-game skid. The Tritons are 4-0 this season in game's played in the Mark Twain Building.

LAST TIME OUT
UMSL suffered its first two league losses of the season last weekend with a 78-59 setback at then No. 2 ranked Lewis and a 76-58 loss at Wisconsin-Parkside. The Tritons shot a season-best 52 percent from the field at UWP, but committed 18 turnovers which resulted in a 20-8 Rangers advantage in points off turnovers. Redshirt freshman Jordan Fletcher averaged 13.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, while senior Alexis Lawrence averaged 15.0 points and 3.0 assists per game.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Alexis Lawrence is averaging a team-best 15.3 points per game and has drained 39 three-pointers, an average of 3.25 per game, which leads the GLVC and is eighth in NCAA DII. Her scoring total ranks seventh in the GLVC and she is also 25-of-28 (.893) at the free throw line, ranking fifth. Junior Kelly Kunkel follows with 9.8 points per game and also grabs 6.2 rebounds per contest. Senior Kelly McGovern leads the team with 3.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
 
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Redshirt freshman Jordan Fletcher has started the last five games and has responded by averaging 10.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game during that stretch. In GLVC-only games, Fletcher is averaging 13.3 points and a league-second-best 11.0 points per game and is one of three players to average a double-double.

REBOUND THAT BASKETBALL
UMSL leads the GLVC and ranks 20th in NCAA DII in rebounding margin at +8.1. The Tritons are averaging 40.0 rebounds per game, while allowing 31.9 by their opponents. UMSL is averaging 14.5 rebounds on the offensive end.  

TRITONS AT HOME
UMSL went 12-2 at home last season and under third-year head coach Katie Vaughn is 22-6 in the Mark Twain Building, including 4-0 this year.

ON THE CAREER CHARTS
- Kelly McGovern ranks seventh all-time in assists (258)
- Alexis Lawrence is third all-time in career three-pointers made (171), fourth in career three-pointers attempted (494) and 10th in career three-point percentage (.346).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Truman State is 9-4 overall, including 3-2 in the GLVC, and is coming off a 72-57 loss at Illinois Springfield in its last outing last Saturday. Allie Norton averages team-bests of 15.6 points and 2.9 assists per game and has connected on 38 three-pointers, while Courtney Strait follows with 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The Bulldogs rank 13th in GLVC-only games in scoring defense (69.8 ppg) and 15th in field goal percentage defense (.445).

Quincy enters a Thursday road game at Maryville with a 7-6 overall record, including a 2-3 mark in the GLVC. The Hawks have one player averaging double figures in Carly Bennencourt's 10.3 points per game, while seven other players average between 6.3 and 9.4 points per game.
 
SERIES HISTORIES
Truman State holds a slim 17-14 advantage in the all-time series. The teams split last season, each winning on its homecourt. The Bulldogs won the initial meeting, a 70-55 decision on Jan. 16 in Kirksville, while UMSL posted an 80-76 victory in St. Louis on Feb. 22.

Quincy leads the all-time series, 30-20. The teams split last season, each winning on the road. The Hawks posted a 69-60 win in St. Louis on Jan. 18, while the Tritons avenged that loss on Feb. 20 in Quincy, 79-62.

LOOKING AHEAD
UMSL returns home next Thursday and Saturday, hosting Missouri S&T and Drury, respectively.