SETTING THE SCENE
Fresh off a 63-55 win over McKendree last Saturday, UMSL looks to stay in the win column when they host crosstown foe Maryville on Thursday before traveling north to Quincy on Saturday. The Tritons will play four of their next five games at home with the two-hour trek to Quincy being the only game away from the Mark Twain Building.
SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL improved to 8-5 overall, including 2-4 in the GLVC with its win over McKendree… the Tritons are 5-1 at home, including 2-0 in the GLVC, and 3-4 on the road… three of its GLVC losses have been decided by five points or less… UMSL sits in a tie for second place in the Central Division standings and is in a tie for sixth place in the GLVC Point Rating System, which is being used to determine the eight qualifying teams for the 2018 GLVC Tournament.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Four players average double figures for the Tritons, including junior
Arielle Jackson (12.3) and seniors
Shawnta Johnson (11.6),
Jordan Fletcher (11.5) and
Sammie Sproul (10.3).
Fletcher has been the team's leading scorer the last three games, averaging 17.3 points per game, while shooting 58.8 percent from the field. She enters Thursday's game with 998 career points and is looking to become the 15th member of the 1,000-point club.
Fletcher is averaging 14.2 points per game in GLVC-only games, which ranks 13th.
Johnson has been held to just 5.0 points per game in her last two outings. She also averages a team-best 4.2 assists per game.
Sproul has netted a team-high 34 three-pointers and is shooting 44.7 percent from beyond the arc, which is second in the GLVC and 18th nationally.
AMONG THE LEADERS
• UMSL leads the GLVC in offensive rebounds and ranks 75th in NCAA DII with 14.0 per game.
• The Tritons are second in GLVC and 21st nationally in fewest fouls with 224, an average of just 17.2 per game.
• UMSL is holding opponents to 59 points per game, which ranks third in the league and 42nd in NCAA DII.
• The Tritons are shooting a GLVC second-best 35.3 percent from three-point range, which is 48th nationally.
FRESHMAN ORIENTATION
Freshman
Alex LaPorta is coming off her GLVC-high seventh double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds against McKendree. She is averaging a league-best 9.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 44th in NCAA DII, to go with 9.4 points per game.
HENNING'S WAY
Junior
Kaitlynn Henning is coming off career-highs of 14 points and seven steals. Her seven steals were one shy of the program's single-game high.
CAREER NOTEWORTHY
Fletcher ranks second all-time in career blocks (115), 18 shy of the 133 recorded by Jennifer Martin (2005-07), and is second in career field goal percentage (.561).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Maryville suffered its sixth straight loss on Monday night with a 75-73 loss to Quincy. The Saints, 4-9 overall, including 1-6 in the GLVC, are also 1-6 on the road. Ali Ringering leads four players in double figures with 15.0 points per game and is shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
Quincy enters a Thursday road game at McKendree with a 6-10 overall record, including a 2-5 GLVC mark. The Hawks are 5-4 at home. Anika Webster averages 16.4 points per game - double any other player on her team. In GLVC-only games, Quincy is shooting a league-best 38.1 percent from long range.
SERIES HISTORIES
UMSL is 12-9 all-time against Maryville. The two teams split the series last season, each winning at home, including UMSL's 79-45 victory in the Mark Twain Building.
Quincy leads the all-time series, 32-22, although the Tritons won last year's meeting, 57-47, in St. Louis.
UP NEXT
UMSL hosts Rockhurst on Thursday and Bellarmine on Saturday.
