SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL steps into GLVC  play for the first time this season, opening league play on the road Thursday at Drury and Saturday at Truman State. The Tritons will play three of their 18 conference games in early December before returning to the full slate of GLVC play in the new year.

UMSL IN GLVC OPENERS
UMSL is 7-14 in GLVC openers... the Tritons are opening the league schedule against Drury for the third straight year, including the second straight year in Springfield, Mo.

GLVC PRESEASON POLL
UMSL was picked to finish second in the GLVC Central Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The GLVC regular season will feature a newly adopted three-division format with the familiar East and West Divisions, along with the additional Central Division, which Maryville was favored to win. Drury was tabbed as the favorite in the West, while Bellarmine was the top pick in the East.

The top-eight teams with the most points derived from the new GLVC Point Rating System at the end of the regular season will earn a berth to the GLVC Basketball Championship Tournament on March 1-4 at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois, on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
• UMSL is 3-2 on the young season and is coming off an 83-64 home win over Robert Morris-Peoria last Saturday.

• The Tritons are 0-2 on the road, 2-0 at home and 1-0 on a neutral court.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
• Senior Steven Davis averages a team-best 13.2 points per game and has a team-best 14 three-pointers, having made at least one in all five games.

• Junior Johnathan Matthews follows with 11.0 points per game and leads the team at the free throw line, having made 13-of-18 (72.2 percent).

• The Tritons are shooting 41.6 percent from the field, including 34.8 percent from three-point range.

• Senior Elijah Watson is averaging 7.2 assists per game, which leads the GLVC and ranks 13th in NCAA DII. His 3.27 assist-turnover ratio is fourth in the league and 32nd nationally.

• Redshirt sophomore Jason Towery averages 6.2 rebounds per game and of his 31 boards, 16 have come on the offensive end. He pulled down a season-best 13 in the win over Robert Morris-Peoria.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
UMSL leads the GLVC in scoring defense, allowing just 65.2 points per game. That figure also puts them 27th nationally in NCAA DII.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Drury is 4-1 and coming off of two wins in its Thanksgiving Classic last weekend. The Panthers lead the GLVC in scoring offense at 91.8 points per game. Sophomore guard Isaac Johnson averages 13.6 points and 3.2 assists per game, while junior guard John Williams follows with 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 75.7 percent (28-of-37) from the field. Drury also leads the conference in assists (20.6 apg), assists-turnover ratio (2.1) and three-pointers per game (12.4).

Truman State entered a Tuesday night home game against Lincoln with a 3-2 record. The Bulldogs will host UMSL in their GLVC opener.  Truman State is averaging 11 three-pointers per game, which ranks second in the league, but is last in scoring defense, allowing 81 points per game. Junior guard Jake Velky is fifth in the league with 18.4 points per game, while senior forward Zach Fischer follows with 18.0 points per game and a league-best 11.2 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORIES
Drury leads the all-time series, 21-8, and has won the last nine meetings, including both last season by a combined three points. The Panthers won in Springfield, 69-68, to open the GLVC schedule and rallied back to take an 81-79 overtime victory in St. Louis.

The Tritons are 25-17 against Truman State but have lost the last three meetings, including an 86-82 overtime decision last year in St. Louis.

UP NEXT
UMSL continues GLVC play next Thursday, hosting William Jewell.