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SPRINGFIELD, MO. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team saw its season come to an end on Friday afternoon in the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament as Lewis pulled out a 69-64 victory over the Tritons.
 
The Flyers shot 57.7 percent in the final 20 minutes and used a string of nine unanswered points, capped by five from Jamie Johnson, that gave the Flyers their first lead of the game at 57-53 with just over five minutes to play. An Alexis Lawrence banked in three-pointer and a jumper by Alyssa Like followed to put the Tritons ahead 58-57 with 3:54 remaining, but a steal and layup by Nikki Nellen gave the Flyers a 59-58 lead they would not relinquish with 1:58 to play. Johnson then went 6-of-6 at the free throw line in the final 1:02 to seal the game.
 
"Lewis changed up their defense in the second half and came out in a couple different zones after playing man in the first half," said second-year head coach Katie Vaughn. "Credit them, they executed it, and we weren't ready for it. We were scrambling to get good shots off and I think it also took away from some of our rebounding."
 
UMSL ends its season with a 21-8 record, tallying the program's second-most wins. The Tritons were playing in just their second-ever NCAA Tournament, and the first since 2000.
 
Senior Devonna Smith tallied a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds to close out a stellar three-year career for the Tritons. She also became the program's 13^th player to record 1,000 career points, accomplishing the feat with her second bucket of the game at the 14:18 mark in the first half.
 
Like followed with 12 points, while Lawrence added 11 points, six assists and three steals.
 
UMSL made four of its first five field goals en route to an early 8-2 lead. Then later, after a three-point bucket by Johnson at the 12:08 mark pulled the Flyers within 14-11, the Tritons went on a 9-2 run, capped by a three-pointer from Lawrence to take a 23-13 lead. Lewis followed with six straight, beginning with two free throws before ending a nearly five minute drought without a field goal. However, back-to-back buckets from junior Kelly McGovern sophomore Kelly Kunkel pushed the lead back to 27-19 with just over three minutes on the clock. Smith then scored the final six points for UMSL as the Tritons took a 33-27 lead into halftime.
 
UMSL shot 43.5 percent in the game and owned a 40-29 rebounding advantage, including a 17-10 edge on the offensive end, and outscored the Flyers, 19-9, in second chance points. Lewis finished the game shooting 43.6 percent after just 31 percent in the first half and was led by Jess Reinhart's 22 points. Johnson finished with 19.
 
The Flyers (23-5) advance to the Midwest Regional semifinal on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. against Wayne State, which was a 68-58 winner over Indianapolis earlier today.