SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL begins a five-game homestand to close out the regular season this weekend, hosting two of the GLVC East Division's top teams in No. 20 ranked Southern Indiana (Thursday) and No. 17 ranked Bellarmine (Saturday).   

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL is coming off a pair of victories in its final two contests away from home last weekend, winning at Illinois Springfield, 77-73, and at McKendree, 63-58. The road sweep marked the first time since the 2014-15 season when the Tritons won at Rockhurst and William Jewell that they have done so.

The Tritons are 6-7 in the GLVC, sitting in a tie for fourth place in the West Division standings. UMSL is tied for eighth place overall and looking to stay in the top 12 to earn a spot in the GLVC Tournament, while finishing in fourth through eighth place would land them a first round home game.

UMSL is 4-3 in road games, including 3-1 in GLVC home games, having won its last three.

The Tritons have limited six opponents to fewer than 55 points this season.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Sophomore transfer Laura Szorenyi averages a team-best 15.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the GLVC, and has reached double figures in all but one games. She also leads the squad with 28 three-pointers and is second with 36 assists (1.9 apg). In GLVC-only games, Szorenyi averages 16.6 points per game, which ranks seventh. She has been the top scorer eight times, including each of the last three games.

Junior Jordan Fletcher follows with 14.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 60 percent from the field, which ranks second in the GLVC and is currently third on the program's single season charts. She has led the team in scoring a team-high nine times and has six 20-plus scoring games.

Senior Robneisha Lee adds 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

ON THE SPROUL
Junior Sammie Sproul is coming off a season-best 15 points in Saturday's win at McKendree. Sproul has also made 12 of her 21 three-pointers on the year in the last seven games and is shooting 46.1 percent (12-of-26) from beyond the arc during that span.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Southern Indiana is 20-3 overall, including 12-1 in the GLVC and comes to St. Louis on a five-game win streak and ranked for the first time this season, debuting at No. 20 in this week's WBCA NCAA DII Top 25. The Screaming Eagles, which sit atop the East Division standings, are 8-0 in road games. They average 78.0 points per game in GLVC play, which ranks second, and own a rebounding margin best of +7.3.

No. 17 ranked Bellarmine enters a Thursday contest at Bellarmine at 18-4 overall, including 10-3 in the GLVC, and sits in a tie for second place in the East Division, one game behind Southern Indiana. The Knights, which are 9-1 on the road, have lost three of their last six games, although two have been to ranked opponents (No. 24 Lewis and No. 9 Drury). Bellarmine is third in the GLVC in scoring offense (75.2 ppg) in league-only games, but ranked 14th in scoring defense, allowing 70.6 points per game.

UMSL VS. RANKED TEAMS
Southern Indiana and Bellarmine will mark the third and fourth ranked opponents the Tritons have faced this season. UMSL lost a 72-58 decision at then No. 14 Drury in the GLVC opener and suffered a 70-68 setback at then No. 19 Lewis.

SERIES RECORDS
UMSL is 8-32 all-time against Southern Indiana and has lost 13 straight in the series, including a 76-69 decision last year in Evansville, and is 10-21 against Bellarmine. The Knights recorded a 68-47 win last year in Louisville, Ky., to snap a four-game losing streak to the Tritons.

UP NEXT
UMSL continues its homestand next weekend, hosting Missouri S&T and Drury on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.