BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team opened its season with a 76-68 loss at the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon on Friday night.
 
The Tritons trailed by 16 points midway through the second half before trimming the deficit to nine points with 2:35 to play and then six points twice in the final minute, but could get no closer.
 
Senior Alexis Lawrence led UMSL with 21 points, connecting on 5-of-11 three-pointers. Two of those came in the final minute, while the Tritons were 6-of-13 from long range in the second half, with all of those coming in the final 8:55 and five of them in the final 5:26.
 
Sophomore Hayley Alexander followed with 10 points, while senior Tierra Snow scored nine points, including seven in the first half.
 
UPR-Bayamon took a 33-26 lead into the intermission after using a 13-2 run to building a 28-15 lead at the 4:18 mark.
 
A 14-4 spurt by the home team in the second half then pushed the lead to 49-33 for its largest lead of the game. After a pair of free throw made it 62-47 with 3:38 to play, junior Amber Daly connected on a three-pointer and converted a layup off a steal to pull UMSL within 62-53 with 2:35 remaining. UPR-Bayamon pushed the lead back in to double figures before a three-pointer from senior Kelly McGovern trimmed the deficit to 69-63 with 43 seconds to play. A pair of free throws from Alexander also made it a six-point game 10 seconds later, but UPR-Bayamon sealed the game at the free throw line by going 7-of-8 in the final 46 seconds.
 
The Tritons shot 36.1 percent from the field, while UPR-Bayamon shot 47.2 percent and held a narrow 39-38 rebounding advantage. Snow pulled down nine rebounds, while McGovern had eight and also dished out seven assists. Daly picked up three steals.
 
UMSL will close out its season-opening road trip in Puerto Rico tomorrow with an afternoon game at UPR-Rio Piedras.