SETTING THE SCENE
Following a two-game roadswing, UMSL returns home to host the Marriott St. Louis Airport Classic this weekend. The Tritons face East Central on Friday and Missouri Western on Saturday, with start times of 3 p.m. each day. Maryville rounds out the classic field.

LAST TIME OUT
UMSL is coming off a 72-64 win at NCAA Division III Webster on Monday night. The Tritons rode a career night from Steven Davis in the win as the junior guard scored 26 points, netting eight three-pointers, one shy of the school record.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL improved to 3-2 overall with the win and is 2-1 at home. Davis averages a team-best 13.2 points per game, while senior Hunter Reine follows with 10.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Junior D.J. White adds 9.4 points ad 5.6 rebounds per game. Four different players have been the top scorer for the Tritons this season. The Tritons rank second to last in scoring offense (69.2 ppg) in the league, but are seventh in scoring defense (69.7 ppg). Senior Joseph English averages a team-best 4.2 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the GLVC. He is also 15th in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 1.6.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
East Central is 0-4, but has lost its last three games by six or fewer points, including a  104-99 setback at Arkansas-Monticello last Saturday in its last outing. Senior guard Reeves Braxton leads the Tigers with 17.5 points per game and became the 18th member of the program's 1,000-point club in East Central's last outing, scoring 28 points in a 104-99 loss at Arkansas-Monticello. Senior forward Ishmael Donzo follows with 9.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The Tigers are coached by Ja Havens in his fourth season. He previously spent eight seasons at Drury, helping the Panthers to the 2013 national championship.

Missouri Western slipped to 0-4 Monday night with an 81-63 home loss to Lake Superior State. Junior guard Cole Clearman leads the Griffons with 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, while junior forward Joe Hamilton follows with 10.5 points per game. Missouri Western is averaging only 8.5 turnovers per game, but is shooting 38.5 percent from the field, while opponents are shooting 47.6 percent.

THE SERIES
UMSL lost a 91-87 decision at East Central last season in the program's only meeting.

UMSL and Missouri Western have met eight previous times with each winning four games.  Saturday's contest will mark the first meeting since the 1996 MIAA Tournament in which UMSL won, 62-59.   

UP NEXT
UMSL begins GLVC play next week, traveling to Drury on Thursday and to Missouri S&T on Saturday.