ST. LOUIS, MO. – Senior Alexis Lawrence led five Tritons in double figures with 19 points as the University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team picked up its third straight win with an 83-68 victory over previously unbeaten Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon in the finale of the UMSL Classic.
 
Junior Amber Daly followed with 16 points, while senior Tierra Snow added 13. Sophomore Sydney Bloch and redshirt freshman Jordan Fletcher chipped in 10 points each.
 
UMSL improves to 3-1 overall, while Minnesota State slips to 3-1 with its first loss.
 
The Tritons shot 46.6 percent in the win and owned a 44-28 rebounding advantage, including a 16-10 edge on the offensive end, outscoring the Mavericks, 22-10, in second chance points. Fletcher grabbed nine boards, while Snow and Bloch had seven each.
 
UMSL took a37-26 lead into halftime, scoring 16 points on offensive rebounds. The Tritons used a 14-4 run over a  five minute stretch midway through the first stanza to turn an 8-6 deficit into a 20-12 lead at the 8:10 mark on Lawrence's second three-pointer of the run.
 
After the Mavericks trimmed the deficit to 21-16, Daly scored eight straight for the Tritons to ignite a 12-2 run that pushed the lead to 33-18 at the 2:28 mark. Daly scored 10 of those points, including four on a pair of layups off steals. She finished the game with five steals.
 
Minnesota State pulled within 41-33 as the second half opened, but eight straight from UMSL made it 49-33 on Fletcher's lay-in with 15:03 to play. The Mavericks answered with a 15-7 run, pulling within 56-48 before another run by the Tritons, this time 11-0 to take their largest lead of the game at 65-48 with 5:24 remaining.
 
Minnesota State then outscored the Tritons, 9-1, over the next two minutes, trimming the deficit to single digits at 66-57 with 3:32 on the clock. However, the Tritons helped preserve the win by going 14-of-14 at the free throw line the rest of the way.
 
UMSL limited Minnesota State to 39.6 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers, while overcoming 26 of their own. Senior Kelly McGovern dished out seven assists and picked up three steals.
 
UMSL will close out its current three-game homestand next Saturday, hosting Trevecca Nazarene.