Live Stats | Audio | Video

SETTING THE SCENE
The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team begins its quest to repeat as West Division champions when it opens Great Lakes Valley Conference action on Wednesday, hosting cross town rival Maryville at 7:30 p.m.

UMSL IN GLVC OPENERS
UMSL is 5-11 in GLVC openers, and have won three straight league openers. The Tritons are opening the league slate at home for just the second time in the last seven years and are 2-4 when beginning the conference schedule at home. UMSL won its GLVC lid-lifter at Drury last year, 78-61.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Maryville is off to its best start in program history with a 6-1 overall record and has won three straight, including a 70-57 victory over Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday. Asa Toney paces the Saints with 13.9 points and 5.0 assists per game, while Armon Provo adds 13.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

THE SERIES
UMSL is 13-0 against Maryville. The Tritons won both meetings last year, including a 77-53 win at home on Feb. 23 and a 64-58 win on the road on Jan. 2.

AN UMSL WIN AGAINST MARYVILLE WOULD...
... keep the Tritons perfect at home this season with a 5-0 record.
... move the Tritons to 14-0 all-time against the Saints.
... give the Tritons a 1-0 start to the GLVC season for the third straight season.
... improve the Tritons to 6-11 in GLVC openers, including 3-4 at home.
... be the ninth straight home victory dating back to last season.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL enters the game with a 5-1 record and is coming off an 81-71 win over Lincoln on Saturday. The Tritons have five players averaging double figures, led by senior Joshua McCoy's 17.8 average. McCoy also paces the team in assists (3.8 per game) and steals (1.7 per game).

OFFENSIVE PROWESS
UMSL's 85.1 points per game ranks fourth in the GLVC in scoring offense. The Tritons have hit the 90-point plateau three times and have scored 80 or more points in four of their five contests.

THE THREE BALL
UMSL leads the GLVC with 53 three-pointers - an average of 8.83 per game. Junior Darian Cartharn owns 16 long balls, while senior Joshua McCoy has connected for 14 treys. The Tritons tied a school record with 15 three-pointers in a 90-76 win over Central Oklahoma earlier this season.

UMSL has also been efficient in its effort from beyond the arc, hitting at a .41.7 percent mark.

MAKING THE FREE ONES
The Tritons are taking advantage of getting to the free throw line, connecting at a GLVC-best 81.4 percent mark, Three players rank in the top 10 in the league, including junior Michael Weber (third, 29-of-30, .967), senior Charlie Woods (fourth, 23-of-24, .958) and senior Joshua McCoy (10th, 29-of-33, .879).

UMSL leads the GLVC in total free throws made (140) and attempts (172), averaging 28.7 attempts per game over the Tritons' five-game effort so far.

HOME SWEET HOME
UMSL owns a 334-203 (.622) record in its home facility - the Mark Twain Building. The arena opened in the fall of 1971 and during the 1971-72 season, the Tritons posted a 13-0 record on their new home court. UMSL posted a 12-1 on its home floor last season and is off to a 5-0 start this season.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART II
UMSL will have plenty of help from its home crowd as they try to build off one off the most successful seasons in program history as the Tritons play 14 of their 2012-13 26-game slate in the friendly confines of the Mark Twain Building. The Tritons are playing six of their first nine games at home.

HEAD COACH STEVE TAPPMEYER
Steve Tappmeyer is in his third season as the head men's basketball coach at UMSL and owns a career coaching mark of 448-229 (.662) in 23 seasons. In two seasons with the Tritons, he is 40-21 (.656). Prior to his appointment at UMSL, Tappmeyer coached 21 seasons (1989-2009) at Northwest Missouri State with an overall record of 408-208 (.662). The all-time winningest coach in program history, he directed the Bearcats to 10 NCAA Tournament berths and three regular season and four conference tournament championships. Tappmeyer is the sixth head men's basketball coach in UMSL program history.

MORE ON TAPPMEYER'S SUCCESS
Steve Tappmeyer entered the 2012-13 season ranked 22nd among active Division II coaches in victories and 31st in winning percentage.

GLVC PRESEASON POLL
UMSL was picked to defend its GLVC West Division crown, recording 113 points in the poll and received eight first-place votes, finishing three points ahead of Drury, who totaled 110 points, including seven first-place votes. Quincy was tabbed third with 89 points and picked up the final first-place tally. Illinois-Springfield (69 points), Maryville (63), William Jewell (46), Missouri S&T (41) and Rockhurst (37) round out the poll.

Bellarmine is the favorite to win the East Division, earning 114 total points and 10 of 16 first-place votes, while defending GLVC champion Southern Indiana was picked to finish second, falling just 10 points shy of Bellarmine, but acquiring five first-place votes as well. Kentucky Wesleyan and Indianapolis were selected third and fourth with 89 and 88 points, respectively, and is followed by Lewis (65). Saint Joseph's and UW-Parkside tied for sixth, having each earned 41 points, while McKendree, which is set to compete in its first season in the GLVC, earned 26 points and was picked to finish eighth in the division.

UP NEXT
UMSL will be idle until Monday, Dec. 17, when the Tritons travel to Lincoln.