RENSSALEAR, IND. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team closed out a four-game roadtrip on Saturday with a 66-62 Great Lakes Valley Conference win at Saint Joseph's.
 
The Tritons led by 15 points early in the second half and overcame a Pumas rally as Saint Joseph's pulled within one in the final minute.
 
UMSL snapped a two-game losing skid with the win and improves to 16-7 overall, including 8-5 in the GLVC, while Saint Joseph's slips to 6-17 and 3-10 in the league.
 
Seniors Aareon Smith and Tylor Wimbish combined for 37 points, while the Tritons shot 46.3 percent and owned a 40-28 rebounding advantage. Smith recorded 19 points and nine rebounds, while Wimbish finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.
 
Smith gave the Tritons their largest lead of the game at 44-29 just minutes into the second half, but the Pumas followed with 10 unanswered to pull within 44-39 with 15:12 to play. Senior Neil Branham ended the run with a three-pointer and buckets by juniors Kevin Swanson and Alex Majewski pushed the lead back to double figures at 51-39.
 
After junior Derek Williams' layup made it a 57-46 Tritons lead, Saint Joseph's scored eight straight to ignite 14-4 run, trimming the deficit to 61-60 on a traditional three-point play. However, Wimbish followed suite on the other end and a pair of free throws from senior Derek Shouse helped seal the game.
 
UMSL took a 39-27 lead into halftime after shooting an even 50 percent. Wimbish scored seven points during an 11-3 UMSL run midway through the opening stanza to help the Tritons to a 22-13 advantage with 7:42 to play. Smith then scored on an offensive board two minutes later to put the lead into double figures at 26-15 before UMSL took the 12-point advantage into halftime.
 
Saint Joseph's shot 40.7 percent from the field and took advantage of 16 Triton miscues, outscoring UMSL, 18-6, in points off turnovers.
 
The Tritons also overcame dismal three-point shooting to garner the victory. UMSL, the GLVC leader in that category, equaled a season-low three long balls and shot just 21.4 percent from long range, its second lowest of the year.
 
UMSL returns home on Thursday to host Southern Indiana in the start of a three-game homestand. The Tritons will play four of their final five regular season games at home.