SETTING THE SCENE
After playing just one game at home in its last five outings, the UMSL women's basketball team will play its next two at home this weekend. The Tritons welcome Missouri S&T on Thursday and No. 21 ranked Drury on Saturday. UMSL is 5-0 in the Mark Twain Building this season and is 7-8 overall, including 3-4 in the GLVC.

LAST TIME OUT
The Tritons are coming off a 57-48 loss at Maryville on Monday night. The Tritons overcame an early 14-2 deficit and owned a seven-point advantage midway though the second half, but saw the host Saints end the game on a 19-3 run. UMSL shot 31.1 percent from the field, including 29 percent in the second half. Junior Kelly Kunkel led the offense with 12 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, while senior Tierra Snow followed with nine points and nine rebounds. Senior Kelly McGovern also tallied nine points and grabbed eight rebounds.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Alexis Lawrence is averaging a team-best 14.3 points per game and has drained 47 three-pointers, an average of 3.13 per game, which leads the GLVC and is eighth in NCAA DII. Her scoring total ranks 13th in the GLVC and she is also 29-of-32 (.906) at the free throw line. Junior Kelly Kunkel follows with 10.5 points per game and also grabs 6.1 rebounds per contest. Senior Kelly McGovern leads the team with 3.3 assists, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. She ranks fourth in the league in rebounding, fifth in steals and is 10th in assists.

TRITON TIDBITS
- Junior Kelly Kunkel has reached double figures in the last four games and has shot 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from three-point range during that stretch.  
- Senior Alexis Lawrence has scored in double figures in all but three games this season. She has 10 games of three or more three-pointers made.
- With her two three-pointers at Maryville on Monday, Alexis Lawrence moved into second place all-time in career three-pointers made with 179, trailing only Monica Steinhoff (1988-92), who drained 247.
- Senior Tierra Snow's is shooting 66.7 percent from the field in the last three contests, averaging 14.7 points per game during that stretch, including a career-high 21 at Quincy on Jan. 17.  
- Despite being a guard, senior Kelly McGovern is the Tritons' top rebounder at 7.4 boards per game. She has led the squad in rebounding in four games.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Missouri S&T  is 4-11 overall, including 0-7 in the GLVC, and enter the game on a six-game losing skid. The Lady Miners have a balanced attack with five players averaging between 7.1 and 7.9 points per game. Leigh-Ann Kesper leads the way with 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Drury, ranked No. 21 nationally in NCAA DII, enters a Thursday game at Maryville with a 12-3 mark, including a GLVC West Division-best 6-1 league mark. Annie Armstrong paces the offense with 14.1 points per game, having netted 26 three-pointers, while shooting 46.4 percent from beyond the arc. Sanaykia Shields follows with 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. The Panthers are second in the league in scoring offense (75.1 ppg) in GLVC-only games and are third in field goal percentage (.439).
 
SERIES HISTORIES
Missouri S&T leads the all-time series, 37-18. The Tritonswon last year's meeting, an 80-67 decision in Rolla. The last three meetings have been played in Rolla. Missouri S&T garnered a 58-51 victory in St. Louis during the 2012-13 season - the last meeting in the Mark Twain Building.

The Tritons have won just once in 20 games against Drury - a 58-56 decision in St. Louis during the 2012-13 season. The Panthers won last year's meeting, a 74-71 victory in Springfield, Mo.

TRITONS AT HOME
UMSL went 12-2 at home last season and under third-year head coach Katie Vaughn is 25-6 in the Mark Twain Building, including 5-0 this year.

LOOKING AHEAD
After this weekend, UMSL will play its next four games on the road, beginning next Thursday and Saturday at Rockhurst and William Jewell, respectively.