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SETTING THE SCENE
For just the second time in program history, and the first since 2000, UMSL has earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tritons earned the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region and will face No. 2 seed Lewis on Friday in one of four quarterfinal round games. Drury, the top seed in the eight-team regional, will serve as host with the event being held at the O'Reilly Family Event Center. Other first-round pairings include No. 3 seed Indianapolis vs. No. 6 seed Wayne State at Noon, Drury vs. No. 8 seed Truman State at 6 p.m. and No. 4 seed Northern Michigan vs. No. 5 seed Quincy at 8:30 p.m.

THE 2000 NCAA TOURNAMENT
UMSL also received an at-large bid in 2000, the program's only other NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tritons lost a 90-77 decision to Ferris State at Regents Hall in Highland Heights, Ky., with former GLVC member Northern Kentucky serving as host.

UMSL VS. THE REMAINDER OF THE REGIONAL FIELD
The Tritons are 3-5 against the seven other teams in the Midwest Regional. UMSL is 1-1 against Indianapolis, Quincy and Truman State and 0-1 against Lewis and Drury. The Tritons have not faced Wayne State or Northern Michigan.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL is 21-7 overall and is coming off a 78-74 loss to Indianapolis in the GLVC Tournament Quarterfinals, which snapped a three-game win streak. The Tritons have won eight of their last 10 contests. UMSL is led by All-GLVC performers Hazaria Washington and Devonna Smith. Washington, a second team honoree, leads the squad with 13.5 points per game and also owns team-highs of 56 steals and 17 blocks. She is shooting 52.1 percent from the field and averages 7.0 rebounds per game. Smith, a two-time first team selection, follows with 12.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 52.4 percent. Senior Alyssa Like and junior Alexis Lawrence also average double figures with 10.8 and 10.0 points per game, respectively.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Lewis is 22-5 overall and is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Flyers won the GLVC East Division and were the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, but suffered an 84-70 loss to No. 7 seed Truman State in the quarterfinals. Lewis is led by sophomore forward Mariyah Brawner-Henley, who averages 18.3 points and 12.5 rebounds-per-game. Brawner-Henley, the 2014 GLVC Player of the Year, leads the country with 23 double-doubles in 27 games. Jamie Johnson and Jess Reinhart follow with 16.7 and 15.2 points per game. The Flyers rank 19th nationally, averaging 78.6 points per game and are 37th in field goal percentage, shooting 43.9.

SERIES HISTORY
Lewis leads the all-time series, 20-7, and won the regular season GLVC meeting, 67-60, in St. Louis on January 11.

IN OUR FIRST MEETING THIS YEAR
Lewis 67, UMSL 60 (1-11-14 | St. Louis, Mo.)
UMSL shot a then season-low 35.4 percent, including 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from three-point range as they were dealt their first GLVC loss and had a 10-game win streak snapped. The loss, however, didn't come without a fight at the end from the Tritons. Lewis took its largest lead of the game at 50-34 with 9:02 to play before UMSL slowly began whittling away, pulling with 62-57 on a lay in from senior Hazaria Washington with 44 seconds to play. Junior Alexis Lawrence also got UMSL to within five at 65-60 with 14 seconds on the clock, but Lewis preserved the win by going 5-of-6 at the free throw line in the final 37 seconds. Lewis overcame 10 first-half turnovers by connecting on 5-of-6 three-pointers to help post a 34-25 halftime lead, while the Tritons were just 1-of-12 from long range. Lewis shot 42.3 percent, including 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from three-point range, and owned a 46-34 rebounding advantage. The Flyers were led by Jamie Johnson's 18 points, while senior Devonna Smith tallied 15 points and 11 rebounds. Lawrence also scored 15 points.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
UMSL is holding opponents to just 59.6 points per game, which leads the GLVC and is 21st nationally in NCAA Division II. The Tritons have held three opponents to under 40 points this season, including Maryville (35), Harris-Stowe (36) and Culver-Stockton (33). UMSL limits opponents to just 28.8 percent from beyond the arc, which is 70th nationally.

TEAM REBOUND
The Tritons rank ninth nationally with a rebounding margin of 8.3. UMSL been outrebounded just seven times this season.

DISHING AND TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
UMSL ranks 17th nationally in assist-turnover ratio (1.14). They average 15.5 assists per game and 13.7 turnovers per game, which is 20th nationally.

A THREE FROM LAWRENCE
Junior Alexis Lawrence leads the team with 60 three-pointers, which ranks 10th on the single season charts, and has made at least one three-pointer in all but two games this season. Lawrence also ranks eighth all-time with 129 career three-pointers and is ninth with 374 career attempts.

EYEING 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Senior Devonna Smith has 997 career points at UMSL, needing just three to become the 13th player in program history to tally 1,000 career points.  

BLOCKING AND STEALING
Senior Hazaria Washington is eighth all-time with 41 career swats... her 56 steals this season are the 10th most in a single season... Washington has 98 career thefts.

GIVE ME AN ASSIST
Junior Kelly McGovern ranks eighth in program history with 213 career assists. Last season she was the first player since 2009-10 to record more than 100 assists in a season, finishing with 110.

TRITON TIDBITS
... as a team, UMSL is shooting 44.5 percent, which is fifth best in a single season.
... UMSL's 1,116 rebounds are seventh most in a season.
... the Tritons' 15.6 assists per game ranks fourth on the single season charts.