SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL returns to the court on Saturday, traveling to East Central in Oklahoma for its final nonconference game. The Tritons have been idle since closing out 2015 with back-to-back wins in the Maryville Classic on December 19-20. UMSL will be looking to close out nonconference play with a 6-2 record.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS
The Tritons are 6-5 overall, having won two straight, defeating Trevecca Nazarene in overtime, 94-91, and Saint Leo, 73-71, prior to the holiday break. Senior Brandon Marquardt averaged 24.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in the two victories en route to earning GLVC Player of the Week honors. He also shot 50 percent from both the floor (14-of-28) and three-point land (11-of-22), while netting all 10 of his free-throw attempts. Marquardt averages a team-best 14.9 points per game and has drained 43 three-pointers, while shooting 53.1 percent from long range. He ranks third in all of NCAA DII in three-pointers made, fourth in three-pointers per game (3.91) and ninth in three-point shooting percentage. Marquardt is also shooting 87.5 percent (21-of-24) at the free throw line, having made 21 straight after starting the season 0-of-3.
 
Junior Joseph English adds 10.4 points per game and also leads the squad with 4.5 assists per contest. With just 12 turnovers on the year, English ranks seventh nationally in assist-turnover ratio (4.17), helping the Tritons to rank 20^th in NCAA DII in that category (1.47).
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
East Central is 6-3 overall and will be playing just its fourth home game on Saturday when they host the Tritons. Thomas Stirling leads the Tigers with 23.9 points and 2.9 assists per game. They average 82.0 points per game and are shooting 45.9 percent from the floor, both of which lead the Great American Conference.
 
SERIES HISTORY
UMSL and East Central have never met.
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons return to GLVC play next weekend, traveling to Saint Joseph's on Saturday and to Indianapolis on Sunday.