Box Score

OWENSBORO, KY. - The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basetkball team outscored host Kentucky Wesleyan, 47-17, in the second half en route to claiming an 84-56 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night at the Fairfield Inn Christmas Classic.

The win was the sixth straight for the Tritons, who improve to 7-1 overall, their best start since the 1997-98 team also began the campaign 7-1. Kentucky Wesleyan, a former Great Lakes Valley Conference rival, slips to 6-4.

Senior Hazaria Washington scored 17 points, including nine in the second half, while adding seven rebounds and two steals to help the Tritons to the win. Senior Jessica Zavoral scored a team-high 18 points and dished out four assists, while junior Alexis Lawrence (14 points) and senior Alyssa Like (13 points) also reached double figures.

Trailing 39-37 at the half, UMSL scored eight unanswered to open the second half, taking a 45-39 lead. The Panthers netted their first field goal of the second half at the 16:03 mark and quickly added another to pull within 45-43. However, UMSL then scored six straight to ignite a 15-6 run and took their first double digit lead of the game at 9:46 on a Washington steal and layup.

The Tritons shot 40.7 percent from the field and owned a 39-30 rebounding advantage, including a 15-7 advantage on the offensive end. UMSL outscored Kentucky Wesleyan, 27-6, on second chance points and 26-16 in points off turnovers. The Panthers shot 38.8 percent after being held to 28 percent in the second half, and committed 21 turnovers.

UMSL took an early 11-6 lead on a Washington layup three and half minutes into the game. Lawrence netted a jumper at the 14:29 mark to make it 15-10, but the Tritons would not net another field goal until a Zavoral three-pointer with 8:35 to go. During that stretch, the Panthers knotted the score at 18-18 before taking a 22-20 lead with 9:19 remaining.

The Tritons responded with a 12-4 run, capped by a Zavoral three-pointer for a 32-26 advantage at the 5:47 mark. However, after Like's two free throws put UMSL on top 37-31 with 3:38 to play, the Panthers closed the half with an 8-0 run to take a 39-37 halftime lead.

UMSL will close out tournament play tomorrow against Davis & Elkins at 1 p.m. That contest also marks the end to the non-conference slate.