SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL plays at home for the first time this season with two games in the Mark Twain Building. The Tritons welcome Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Tuesday for a 1 p.m. contest before hosting Arkansas Tech on Saturday at 1 p.m.
UMSL has won five straight home openers, including four straight under fifth-year head coach
Katie Vaughn.
This is the Tritons' latest home opener since the 2010-11 season. UMSL opened that year with five straight road games before welcoming Wisconsin-Parkside on December 2 for its home opener.
SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL improved to 2-1 with a 54-51 win at Lincoln last Friday night. The Tritons scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 10-point lead with 4:21 to play and then had to fend off the Blue Tigers who rallied back. Sophomore
Laura Szorenyi scored 11 points, keeping her season average at 11.0 points per game to go with 3.5 assists per game. Junior
Jordan Fletcher and senior
Robneisha Lee follow with 8.3 and 8.0 points per game.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
UMSL has limited its first three opponents to 51.3 points per game, which tops the GLVC. Opponents are also shooting just 34.6 percent from the field against the Tritons, which ranks fourth in the GLVC.
REBOUND THAT BASKETBALL
UMSL ranks second in the GLVC in rebounding defense with an average of 29.0 defensive boards per game. They rank fifth overall with 43.3 boards per game and are second in rebounding margin (14.0).
Junior
Shawnta Johnson averages a team-best 9.3 rebounds per game, seventh in the league. She has recorded double-figure rebounds twice, including a season-best 11 at Lincoln last Friday.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is 0-1 having lost a 72-36 decision to Winona State. Their contest at UMSL marks the start of a four-game road trip in the St. Louis metro area. UPR-Mayaguez is at Lindenwood Wednesday, at Maryville Friday and at McKendree on Saturday.
Arkansas Tech enters a Tuesday contest against Oklahoma Christian with a 2-1 record. Ranked No. 25 nationally in the preseason coaches poll, the Golden Suns are led by senior guard Kelsey McClure's 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
SERIES RECORDS
UMSL and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez have never met. The Tritons are 1-1 against teams from Puerto Rico, having made the trip to the island to open the 2014-15 season. UMSL lost to PR-Bayamon, but defeated PR-Rio Piedras.
UMSL has also never met Arkansas Tech.
UP NEXT
UMSL plays its first two games of the GLVC schedule next week, traveling to Drury on Thursday, Dec. 1 and to Missouri S&T on Saturday, Dec. 3.
