Box Score

QUINCY, ILL. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team overcame a season-high 23 turnovers by shooting 52.6 percent en route to a 79-62 win at No. 10 ranked Quincy on Thursday night in Great Lakes Valley action.
 
The Tritons improve to 18-6 overall  with the win, including 11-5 in the GLVC, while Quincy, which lost for the first time at home and saw a 12-game win streak snapped with the loss, falls to 21-3 overall and 14-2 in the league.
 
Defense and rebounding, two of UMSL's strengths this season, also played a vital part in the win. The Tritons owned a 43-23 rebounding advantage and held the Hawks to 37.9 percent shooting, including just 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from three-point range. Quincy entered the game shooting better than 40 percent from long range, while averaging more than six three-pointers made a game in GLVC-only contests.
 
The Tritons had five players in double figure scoring, led by junior Alexis Lawrence's game-high 18 points. She was 4-of-5 from three-point range, helping UMSL shoot 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the arc. Senior Devonna Smith followed with 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half, while senior Alyssa Like added 13 points – all in the first half. Junior Kelly McGovern and senior Hazaria Washington scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Washington tallied her fifth double-double of the season by adding 12 rebounds.
 
UMSL netted eight of its first 15 field goals en route to an early 20-11 lead and later took its largest lead of the half at 31-18 with a Kelly Kunkel bucket at the seven minute mark. However, Quincy followed with 13 unanswered to tie it at 31-31. During that span, the Hawks used a full court press that forced the Tritons into eight turnovers on 11 possessions, including seven straight at one point. Like ended a nearly four minute scoring drought at the 3:09 mark to help UMSL to a 10-2 run to close out the opening half with the Tritons scoring the final eight points to take a 41-33 lead at the break.
 
Quincy opened the second half with a 9-0 run, netting its first four field goals to take a 42-41 two minutes in, but that would be the last lead the Hawks would own. The Tritons followed with a 19-8 run to push the lead into double figures for the remainder of the game, posting a 60-50 advantage with 8:40 to play on a Smith layup.
 
UMSL is back on the court Saturday, hosting Truman State at 5 p.m. in the regular season home finale.
 
TRITON TIDBITS: Quincy leads the all-time series 31-19 and posted a 69-60 win over the Tritons earlier this season in St. Louis… this was UMSL's second straight win in Quincy... UMSL has defeated two ranked teams this season, with the other being an 85-64 win over then No. 19 Indianapolis… UMSL's 18 wins the most since the 1999-2000 team won 19… its 11 GLVC wins are the most since the 1999-2000 team won 14… UMSL entered the game ranking 10^th nationally with a rebounding margin of 8.4 and 14^th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 59.2 points per game… junior Kelly McGovern had four assists to move into the all-time top 10 with 195… the Tritons had 12 steals in the contest, 10 of which came in the first half… the win moved UMSL into a tie with Truman State for third place in the GLVC West Division standings and into a three-way tie with Truman State and Indianapolis for fourth place overall in the league… the top four teams earn a first round bye in the GLVC Tournament.