SETTING THE SCENE
The GLVC Central Division champion Tritons have a split weekend, traveling across the Mississippi River to Lebanon, Ill., on Thursday night for a game at McKendree before returning home on Saturday to host Illinois Springfield. Saturday will also be Senior Day with UMSL honoring its four seniors, including Shelby Dahl, Jordan Fletcher, Shawnta Johnson and Sammie Sproul.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is 16-5 overall, including 10-4 in the GLVC and are riding a nine-game win streak.
• The Tritons are the inaugural champs of the newly formed Central Division.
• UMSL sits in fourth place in the GLVC Point Rating System, which is being used to determine the eight qualifying teams for the 2018 GLVC Tournament.
• The Tritons are 10-1 in home games, but 10-0 in games played in the Mark Twain Building, and has won all seven GLVC games at home.
• UMSL is 6-4 in road games, but has won its last three away from home.

GOING STREAKING
The Tritons' nine-game win streak is the longest since the 2013-14 team reeled off 10 straight and is the fourth longest in program history. The 1988-89 team won 12 straight, while the first team in program history (1974-75) had a 14-game win streak.
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Senior Jordan Fletcher averages 15.1 points per game, having increased her output from under 10 points in December. She has had three straight 20-plus outings, including back-to-back 28-point games. Fletcher is shooting 56.7 percent from the field, averages 6.6 rebounds and leads the team with 23 blocks. She made 23-of-29 (79.3 percent) of her field goals last weekend.
 
Junior Arielle Jackson adds 14.3 points and 3.1 assists per game and has made 46 three-pointers.
 
Senior Shawnta Johnson is coming off a triple-double in last Saturday's win over Missouri S&T with 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. She is averaging 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• UMSL averaged 22 assists per game in last week's wins over UIndy and Missouri S&T.
• Triton players have tallied 12 double-doubles this season, including eight from freshman Alex LaPorta, three from senior Shawnta Johnson and one from senior Jordan Fletcher.
• UMSL leads the GLVC in three-point field goal percentage (36.3), which ranks 26^th in NCAA DII.
• The Triton are second in the league and 15^th overall in fewest fouls (338), an average of 16.1 per game.
• UMSL's scoring defense (60.1 ppg) is second in the GLVC and 48^th in DII.

 
CAREER NOTEWORTHY
Senior Jordan Fletcher ranks sixth all-time with 1,165 career points. She is also second in career blocks (124), nine shy of the 133 recorded by Jennifer Martin (2005-07), and is tied for second in career field goal percentage (.572). Fletcher also ranks third all-time in rebounds (617).
 
Senior Sammie Sproul needs one more made three-pointer to be eligible for the all-time three-point shooting percentage top 10, where she would currently rank fifth at 37.9 percent.
 
Senior Shawnta Johnson's career assists average of 3.3 is seventh all-time.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
McKendree is 9-12 overall, including 5-9 in the GLVC, but has lost three straight. The Bearcats are 6-5 home, but have dropped four straight in the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. McKendree sits in ninth place in the GLVC Point Rating System standings, one spot removed from making the GLVC Tournament.
 
Illinois Springfield enters a Thursday home game against Quincy with an 11-11 overall record, including a 5-9 mark in the GLVC. The Prairie Stars snapped a seven-game losing streak with a one-point win over William Jewell last Saturday in its last outing. UIS sits in a tie for 10th place in the GLVC Point Rating System standings. The Prairie Stars are 4-5 in road games.  
 
SERIES HISTORIES – PREVIOUS MEETINGS THIS SEASON
UMSL is 9-2 all-time against Illinois Springfield, but had a four-game win streak snapped with a 69-65 loss to the Prairie Stars in Springfield on January 11 in the first meeting. UIS knocked in the go-ahead three-pointer with 51 seconds to play, while UMSL came up empty on two opportunities on the following possession.
 
The Tritons are 24-4 all-time against McKendree and have won eight straight, including a 63-55 win in St. Louis on January 13. Junior Kaitlynn Henning recorded a then career-high 14 points to go with seven steals, while the Tritons overcame a 10-point deficit in the third quarter by using a 24-3 run.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL closes out the regular season next week, hosting Quincy on Thursday, before traveling across town to Maryville on Saturday.