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SETTING THE SCENE
The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Nashville, Tenn. to compete in the Pops Duncan Classic, hosted by Trevecca Nazarene. The Tritons will face the host school on Friday before meeting Grand Valley State on Saturday.  

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Trevecca Nazarene is 1-0 and will travel to Alabama Huntsville before hosting the Pops Duncan Classic this weekend. The Trojans defeated NAIA member Brescia, 109-66, in their season opener Nov. 9 and lost a 98-77 exhibition contest to Austin Peay on Monday night. Trevecca Nazarene was selected to finish second in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Trojans finished 20-8 last season. This year's squad features only two seniors on the roster, with four juniors and five sophmores.

Grand Valley State will be opening its season at the Pops Duncan Classic and will face Truman State on Friday before its contest against UMSL on Saturday. The Lakers played two exhibition games, defeating Madonna79-52, on Nov. 12 and lost a 91-47 decision to nationally ranked Michigan State in its other preseason game. GVSU is tabbed to finish third in the GLIAC North Division this season. The Lakers returns nine players from last year's squad, which finished with a 19-8 overall record and a 15-7 mark in conference play.

SERIES HISTORY
UMSL has never faced Trevecca Nazarene, while the Tritons posted a 53-50 win over Grand Valley State during the 2007-08 season in their only meeting.

LAST TIME OUT
The Tritons opened their season last Saturday by recording a 70-58 home win over Lindenwood. Senior Alyssa Like scored 18 points to lead three players in double figures as the Tritons, which held a 29-26 lead at the half, scored five straight points to ignite a 14-3 run late in the second half to pull away for the win.

A LOT TO LIKE
Senior Alyssa Like also recorded five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win over Lindenwood - all while playing all 40 minutes without committing a turnover. Like also led the Tritons with 16 points in their lone exhibition contest - a 57-52 win over NCAA Division I Saint Louis. Like spent last season at Murray State after two years at Olney Central College, where she was a teammate with senior guard Jessica Zavoral. While at OCC, was a two-time All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference selection and was a 2011-12 NJCAA Third Team Division I All-American.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Senior Devonna Smith, a First Team All-GLVC selection last season, recorded a double-double in her first outing this season, scoring 12 points, while snagging 12 boards. She recorded nine double-doubles and now has 18 in her career. Fellow senior Hazaria Washington had five double-doubles last year.

REBOUND THAT BASKETBALL
Senior Devonna Smith has pulled down 491 rebounds in three seasons at UMSL and needs 28 more to crack the all-time top 10. Her 253 caroms last season is fifth on the single season charts, while her 226 during the 2011-12 season is ninth. Additionally, Smith pulled down a career-best 20 caroms at Indianapolis during the 2011-12 season, the third best single game effort in program history.

BLOCK PARTY
Devonna Smith ranks sixth all-time in program history with 44 blocked shots.

UP NEXT
The Tritons host the Hilton/UMSL Thanksgiving Classic next Friday and Saturday (Nov. 22-23). UMSL will entertain Harris-Stowe on Friday and Missouri Baptist on Saturday. Lincoln rounds out the list of competing teams.