SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL takes its five-game win streak on the road this weekend, heading north to Lewis on Thursday and to Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday. Thursday night's contest will feature the GLVC Central Division leader Tritons against the East Division leader Flyers, who have won 10 straight and are 8-0 at home.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL improved to 12-5 overall, including 6-4 in the GLVC, with wins over Rockhurst (78-68) and Bellarmine (72-61) last weekend. The Tritons, who entered the weekend in a three-way tie atop the standings of the Central Division, now own a two-game lead over both McKendree and Illinois Springfield.
 
The Tritons, who are 8-1 at home, are 4-4 on the road, including 1-4 in GLVC games.
 
UMSL is in fifth place in the GLVC Point Rating System, which is being used to determine the eight qualifying teams for the 2018 GLVC Tournament.
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Junior Arielle Jackson owns a team-best 13.2 points per game. She has netted double figures in four straight games and is coming off a season-high 20 points in the win over Bellarmine.
 
Senior Jordan Fletcher follows with 12.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and also leads the team with 20 blocks and a 51.9 shooting percentage. Fletcher, who came off ACL surgery at the end of the 2016-17 season, was averaging just 5.3 points four games into the season. She has scored in double figures in 13 straight and in games played in 2018, is averaging 17.4 points.
 
Seniors Shawnta Johnson and Sammie Sproul add 10.9 and 10.4 points per game. Johnson adds 6.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, while Sproul has 45 three-pointers and is shooting 43.3 percent from long range.  
 
Freshman Alex LaPorta is averaging 9.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and has recorded eight double-doubles, which ties for the GLVC lead, while junior Kaitlynn Henning adds 9.1 points per game. Henning has five straight double figure outings after just two earlier this season.
 
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Senior Jordan Fletcher scored her 1,000th career point in the win over Maryville and has 1,068, which ranks eighth on the career charts. She also ranks second all-time in career blocks (121), 12 shy of the 133 recorded by Jennifer Martin (2005-07), and is third in career field goal percentage (.564). Fletcher also ranks fourth all-time in rebounds (590). She is looking to be just the third player in program history to reach 600 career rebounds.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Lewis is 17-4 overall, including 10-1 in the GLVC, and sit in third place in the point rating system. The Flyers are led by NCAA DII's leading scorer Jessica Kelliher, who averages 25.3 points per game.
 
Wisconsin-Parkside enters a Thursday home game against Illinois Springfield with a 7-15 overall record, including a 3-7 GLVC mark. The Rangers are 12^th in the GLVC point rating system.
 
SERIES HISTORIES
UMSL is 7-25 all-time against Lewis with the Flyers winning the last six meetings, including both last season. Lewis earned a 70-68 victory in Romeoville in the regular season meeting on a last second shot and also posted an 80-61 victory in the quarterfinals of the GLVC Tournament.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL hosts Indianapolis on Thursday and Missouri S&T on Saturday.