UMSL at Davenport
Friday, Nov. 9 | 6 p.m. (EST) | Grand Rapids, Mich.
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UMSL at Grand Valley State
Saturday, Nov. 10 | 4 p.m. (EST) | Allendale, Mich.
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SETTING THE SCENE
UMSL tips off its 45^th season of intercollegiate play on the road this weekend, traveling to Davenport on Friday and No. 13 ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday.
 
UMSL IN SEASON OPENERS

• The Tritons are 30-14 in season-openers and have won their last three lid-lifters.
• UMSL is 5-1 in season openers under seventh-year head coach Katie Vaughn.
• The Tritons earned a 75-67 overtime win at home over Davenport last year.

 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is coming off a 21-6 record, which included a 14-4 GLVC mark and the league's Central Division regular season title.
• The Tritons, which notched a 20-win season for just the third time in program history, also put together a 14-game win streak and posted a 12-0 record inside the Mark Twain Building. 
• Vaughn returns five players from that team, including seniors Arielle Jackson (Second Team All-GLVC, 15.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.7 spg), and Kaitlynn Henning (9.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.7 spg).
• The Tritons also welcome back redshirt junior Laura Szorenyi, a 2016-17 Third Team All-GLVC pick, who averaged 14.2 points per game, and sophomore Alex LaPorta, who was named to last year's GLVC All-Freshman Team after finishing third in the league with 8.7 rebounds per game.  
• The all-time wins leader in program history, Vaughn has compiled a record of 98-68 (.590) at UMSL.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
About Davenport
The Panthers finished with an 8-20 overall record last season and have six returners back, including senior guard Amanda Merz, who averaged 7.6 points and 3.5 assists per game. Davenport, who finished eighth in the GLIAC a year, was picked fifth in the league's preseason poll.
 
About Grand Valley State
The Lakers, ranked No. 13 in the WBCA Preseason Poll, return three of five starters from last year's 26-7 team, which made their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Senior guard Natalie Koenig (11.5 ppg, 3.6 apg) and junior center Cassidy Boensch (13.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) were selected to the Preseason All-Conference teams. The GLIAC South Preseason favorites defeated NCAA DI No. 19 ranked Marquette, 77-75, in exhibition play.
 
SERIES HISTORIES
UMSL vs. Davenport… last year's meeting in St. Louis was the first between the two programs. The Tritons led by 19 points with 8:38 to play in regulation before the Panthers clawed back, tying the game at 59-59 with 23 seconds to play. Then freshman Alex LaPorta recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds in her debut to lead five Tritons in double figures, while then junior Arielle Jackson added 15 points.
 
UMSL vs. GVSU… UMSL is 2-1 all-time against the Lakers with GVSU winning last year's game, 61-58. UMSL rallied from a 14-point deficit, taking a three-point lead late in the third quarter.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL wraps up its three-game season-opening road trip at future league member Lindenwood on Wednesday.