ROMEOVILLE, ILL. – A late 9-0 run helped the University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team to a 71-65 road win at Lewis on Thursday night in Great Lakes Valley Conference action.
 
After the Flyers used a dunk with just over five and a half minutes to play to go ahead 59-55, the Tritons scored the next nine, taking a 64-59 lead on senior Elijah Watson's lay in with 1:39 remaining. Watson scored five points during that run and finished with 20. He also recorded the double-double by pulling down 11 rebounds and dished out six assists. Junior Johnathan Matthews hit all four free throws in the final 36 seconds to help seal the game.
 
Records: UMSL (10-10, 5-6 GLVC), Lewis (10-12, 5-7 GLVC)
 
How it Happened
UMSL owned a 35-29 halftime lead, connecting on 7-of-14 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. The Tritons made their first six field goals, including all four from long range to jump out to a 16-8 lead. The Flyers followed with a 10-2 run and evened the score at 18-all with 12 minutes on the clock. UMSL closed the first stanza with a 7-2 spurt, with freshman Anthony Hughes scoring five of those points.
 
The second half didn't start the same as the first for the Tritons as they made just one of their first 11 shots and missed all eight three-point attempts. The cold spell allowed Lewis to open the half with a 15-2 and take a 44-37 lead.
 
UMSL followed with a 16-9 run over the next 7:24, netting 6-of-9 field goals, and knotted the game at 53-53 on a layup by Watson.
 
Numbers of Note
- UMSL shot 45.5 percent and finished 10-of-25 from three-point range, while Lewis shot 38.5 percent.
- Lewis owned a 41-31 rebounding advantage, including a 17-8 edge on the offensive end, and outscored the Tritons, 15-3, in second chance points.
- Senior D.J. White added 14 points, while freshman Anthony Hughes added 11 points, all in the first half.
- UMSL had a season-low five turnovers, while Lewis committed just six.
 
Up Next
UMSL is at Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday at 3 p.m.