THIS WEEK IN UMSL MEN'S BASKETBALL
The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team has five games remaining on its schedule and will play three of those at home - including a pair this weekend. The Tritons host William Jewell on Thursday before entertaining Rockhurst on Saturday. UMSL owns a one-game lead over William Jewell in the GLVC West Division standings, while Rockhurst sits in last place. The Tritons are trying to clinch their spot in the 12-team GLVC Tournament and a pair of wins this weekend should do that.

LOVE AND BASKETBALL
UMSL is 4-8 in games played on Valentine's Day. The Tritons last played on Feburary 14 during the 2008-09 season, when they dropped a 71-62 decision to Rockhurst at home.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL improved to 14-7 overall, including 7-6 in the GLVC with a 78-71 win at Missouri S&T last Saturday in its last outing. The Tritons, who suffered a 90-75 loss at Drury two nights prior, had four players finish in double figures, including sophomore Neil Branham, who tied a career-best 14 points.

Senior Joshua McCoy averages a team-best 15.0 on the season, while junior Darian Cartharn follows with 13.8 points per game.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
William Jewell is coming off a 69-63 home win over Illinois-Springfield last Saturday in its last outing, improving to 10-11 overall, including 6-7 in the GLVC. The Cardinals are led by Deck Dillon's 14.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Dillon also shoots 51 percent from the field and has 24 blocked shots.

Rockhurst enters a Thursday contest at Maryville with a 3-17 record, including a 2-11 mark in the GLVC. The Hawks, which have lost four straight, are led by Brandon McCann's 12.6 points per game. McCann also leads Rockhurst with 45 three-pointers.

THE SERIES
UMSL is 9-4 all-time against William Jewell. The Cardinals took the first meeting this season, a 79-71 verdict, in Liberty, Mo., on Jan. 19. William Jewell took its largest lead of the game at 59-44 with 7:05 to play before UMSL answered with a 19-7 run over the next five minutes, trimming the deficit to 65-63. However, UMSL would get no closer and William Jewell sealed the victory by going 9-of-10 at the free throw line in the final 37 seconds. Junior Michael Weber led three Tritons in double figures with 19 points, shooting 5-of-10 from three-point range.

Rockhurst leads the all-time series 20-16, but it was UMSL who took the first meeting this season when the Tritons recorded a 73-65 win on Jan. 17 in Kansas City. The Tritons overcame a slow start, netting just one of their first 11 field goals before finishing the game shooting 45.1 percent. Senior Joshua McCoy led all scorers with 22 points.

LEADING THE NATION AT THE LINE
The Tritons entered the week leading the NCAA Division II in free throw shooting percentage, connecting at an even 80.0 percent clip.  

Junior Michael Weber leads the Tritons at the line at 92.3 (72-of-78), which ranks third nationally among all individual players.  

MORE ON THE FREEBIE SUCCESS
UMSL leads the GLVC in total free throws made (412) and in attempts (515), averaging 24.5 attempts per game.  

Junior Michael Weber tied an UMSL single game free throw percentage record by netting all 11 attempts at the free throw line at Kentucky Wesleyan on Jan. 5. Weber had a stretch of 34 straight free throws made earlier this season - which included his 11-for-11 performance at KWC. His streak extended over 15 games and came to an end at Drury on Feb. 7 as Weber missed his first two attempts at the charity stripe.

SMITH ON THE RISE
There has been no sophomore slump for Aareon Smith, who is averaging 7.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. Smith has steadily seen his averages rise throughout the season and has started 14 of the last 15 games. He averaged just 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game prior to entering the starting five against Maryville on Dec. 5.

THE REAL MCCOY
Senior Joshua McCoy is averaging 14.6 points per game during his two-year career at UMSL, having scored 701 career points, which ranks 37th on the Top 50 list. He has 96 three-pointers and is shooting 39.0 percent from beyond the arc, which currently ranks fourth on the career charts. Additionally, McCoy is shooting 84.1 percent (169-of-201) from the free throw line, which ranks second all-time.

TRITON TIDBITS
- Senior Joshua McCoy ranks 10th in the GLVC in scoring (15.0 ppg).
- Senior Isiah Nunn ranks fifth in the GLVC in field goal percentage (.602).
- Junior Darian Cartharn is third in the GLVC in three-pointers made (53).
- Nunn is 10th all-time in the UMSL record books with 33 career blocked shots.
- UMSL is 1-2 in overtime games this season with its win coming in a double overtime victory against Bellarmine on January 10. The Tritons also played in the GLVC's last double OT game, posting a 72-61 win at Maryville on February 17, 2011.
- The Tritons tied a school-record with 15 three-pointers in a 90-76 win over Central Oklahoma on November 24.
- UMSL scored 90 or more points in three of its first five games and has hit the 90-point mark in four games.

HOME SWEET HOME
UMSL owns a 338-205 (.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 9-2 start this season.

UP NEXT
UMSL travels to Quincy next Thursday (Feb. 21) before hosting Illinois-Springfield in the regular season home finale next Saturday (Feb. 23).