RENSSALEAR, IND. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team scored the game's first 12 points, but couldn't maintain that fast start, falling to Saint Joseph's, 96-85, on Thursday night in its first GLVC road game.
 
The Tritons slip to 6-7 overall, including 0-4 in the GLVC, while the Pumas improve to 6-7 and 1-2 in the league.
 
Saint Joseph's answered UMSL's early 12-0 advantage with a 21-3 run to take a 21-15 lead with 12:21 to play. The Pumas posted their largest lead of the half at 32-21 with 8:27 on the clock before senior Brandon Marquardt scored the next six points, draining three free throws and netting a three-pointer to trim the deficit to 32-27. Another Marquardt three four minutes later, followed by a lay-in from junior Alex Majewski brought the Tritons within 39-36 with a little over four minutes to go before Saint Joseph's took a 48-40 lead into halftime.
 
The Pumas' lead hit double digits again early in the second half before the Tritons pulled within three twice, including 62-59 at the 10:26 mark on sophomore Andreas Kefalas' three-pointer. However, the Tritons would get no closer.
 
Five players scored in double figures, including Kefalas who netted 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting. Junior Tre Hymer also scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Marquardt and redshirt freshman Joshua Webster scored 14 points each. Junior Joseph English chipped in 11 points. Webster and English also dished out five assists each.
 
UMSL shot 55 percent from the field and was 8-of-19 from three-point range, while the Pumas shot 55.4 percent, netting 10-of-22 three-pointers and going 24-of-25 at the free throw line. Saint Joseph's held a 28-27 rebounding advantage and outscored the Tritons, 26-17, in points off turnovers as UMSL committed 16 miscues.
 
The Tritons return to the court on Saturday at No. 25 Indianapolis in a 3:15 p.m. (EST) GLVC game.