SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL returns to the court on Saturday for the first time in 22 days to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule, hosting Principia College, an NCAA DIII member. The Tritons have been idle since an 81-77 overtime victory over Hannibal-LaGrange on Friday, Dec. 7.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is 9-2, including 8-1 in non-conference games. A win over Principia would give the Tritons the program's most non-conference wins since they joined a conference (MIAA in 1981-82). The last time UMSL had just one non-conference loss was 2005-06 when that team went 7-1 outside of league games.
• The Tritons have gone with the same starting five in all previous 11 games: seniors Johnathan Matthews and Eric Dust, redshirt junior Jason Towery, sophomore Shane Wissink and redshirt freshman Steve Webb.
• UMSL ranks in the top 10 in three different national stat categories, including total assists (fourth, 189); free throw made (seventh, 183); and total steals (eighth, 96).
• Individually, Matthews is fifth in free throw percentage (95.6), while Wissink is seventh in total steals (27).

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Principia is 1-10 overall, but will play Saturday's game as an exhibition. The Panthers have two players averaging more than 20 points, including Micah Paulson's 27.4 points per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
UMSL won the only other meeting, a 108-61 decision, on February 20, 1975.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL returns to the remainder of its GLVC schedule. The Tritons (1-1 in the GLVC) will host No. 1 ranked Bellarmine on Thursday, Jan. 3.