JEFFERSON CITY, MO. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to build a 10-point lead and then held off host Lincoln to preserve a 54-51 victory Friday night.
 
The Blue Tigers scored the final five points of the game and had a game-tying shot at the buzzer fall short.
 
UMSL improves to 2-1 overall, while Lincoln falls to 0-3, with all three losses coming to GLVC schools.
 
The Tritons' 12-0 run turned a 37-35 deficit into a 47-37 lead with 4:21 to play. Lincoln followed with a 9-4 run to pull within 51-46 with 88 seconds to play, but then junior Jordan Fletcher hit the first of two free throws and junior Shawnta Johnson connected on a jumper to make it 54-46 with just over a minute to go.
 
Sophomore Laura Szorenyi led UMSL with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Fletcher and juniors Shelby Dahl and Sammie Sproul finished with seven each. All nine players in the game for the Tritons scored at least two points.
 
UMSL took a 26-221 lead into halftime after owning a 20-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Tritons scored nine unanswered to end that frame with Szorenyi scoring four points during that run, while senior Shea O'Brien knocked down a three-pointer. A 7-2 run by the Blue Tigers pulled the hosts within 22-21 at the 7:20 mark before UMSL answered with a 6-2 run to end the half.
 
Lincoln's Hunter Yoakum knocked in a pair of three-pointers as the third quarter started to put the Blue Tigers ahead, 27-26, at the 6:35 mark, but another O'Brien three-pointer helped put the Tritons back in front as they held on to a 33-32 lead after three quarters.
 
UMSL shot 27.3 percent from the field, but controlled the boards with a 55-24 advantage, including a 27-2 edge on the offensive end. The Tritons scored 18 second chance points. Johnson pulled down 11 rebounds, while Fletcher grabbed seven.
 
Lincoln shot 39.2 percent and scored 16 points off 17 UMSL turnovers.
 
The Tritons return to the court Tuesday, welcoming Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in its home opener at 1 p.m.