ROMEOVILLE, ILL. – Junior Steven Davis knocked in three three-pointers in the final 80 seconds, but couldn't quite get the University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team past Lewis Thursday night as the Flyers squeaked out a 76-73 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory.
 
The Tritons trailed by seven points (71-64) with 1:31 to play before Davis got UMSL within one point twice, including 74-73 with 16 seconds remaining. But a pair of free throws by Lewis and a missed three-pointer by Davis that would have tied the game in the closing seconds, sealed the game for the home team.
 
UMSL, which suffered its fourth straight setback, dips to 8-8 overall, including 2-4 in the GLVC. Lewis picked up its third straight win, improving to 10-5 overall, including 5-0 in the league.  
 
Numbers of Note
-Davis finished with 18 points on six three-pointers and scored 13 in the second half, nine of which came in the final 1:20, while senior Hunter Reine also tallied 18 points to go with seven rebounds.
 
-Junior Elijah Watson also reached double figures with 11 points and dished out six assists.
 
-UMSL shot 57.7 percent, including 69.2 percent in the second half, and held a 29-27 rebounding advantage, while Lewis connected at a 49.2 percent clip.
 
-Lewis held advantages in points off turnovers (10-6) and second chance points (10-4).
 
-The teams combined for just 14 free throw attempts, including nine by the Flyers. UMSL made four of its five.  
 
How it Happened
Lewis took a 32-29 lead into halftime. The Flyers led by seven at 16-9 seven minutes into the game, while UMSL rallied back to take a 26-25 lead with 2:23 to go on a pair of Andreas Kefalas free throws. Kefalas scored six first half points, all coming in the final 4:23 of the opening stanza.
 
A 10-5 start to the second half extended Lewis' lead to 42-34 three and a half minute, but a pair of threes in 14 seconds by Davis trimmed the UMSL deficit to 42-40. However, eight unanswered followed by the Flyers as the advantage went into double digits.
 
The Tritons whittled the lead down to 67-64 on a jumper by junior D.J. White with 2:15 to play before a four-point swing by the Flyers made it a seven-point game.
 
Up Next
UMSL continues its roadswing on Saturday at Wisconsin-Parkside at 3 p.m.