UMSL vs. Rockhurst
Thursday, January 31, 2019
7:30 p.m. | Mark Twain Building
UMSL vs. William Jewell
Saturday, February 2, 2019
3 p.m. | Mark Twain Building

SETTING THE SCENE
The UMSL men's basketball team opens the second half of the GLVC schedule at home this week, hosting Rockhurst on Thursday and William Jewell on Saturday. The Tritons went 6-3 through their first nine league games, playing five of those at home.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL improved to 15-4 overall and picked up its third straight win with a 70-64 win over Maryville last Saturday in its lone contest of the week.
• It's 15^th win surpasses last year's win total of 14 games, while UMSL improved to 15-4 for just the fourth time in program history and the first since the 1990-91 season.
• The Tritons own a 10-3 record on its home court with two of those losses coming to Top 25 ranked opponents (No. 25 Missouri Southern and No. 1 Bellarmine).
• The Tritons are 6-3 in the GLVC and sit in a three-way tie for third place, but are second in the GLVC Point Rating System, used to determine the field for the eight-team league tournament in March.
• Winning the close ones… UMSL's last four wins have been by an average of 5.75 points.
• UMSL has not shot less than 30 percent from the three-point range in its last 14 games. They are connecting at a 36.4 percent clip from beyond the arc.
• The Tritons are 39^th in NCAA DII in field goal percentage shooting at 48.4 percent.
• Defensively UMSL is 51^st in DII with a scoring defense of 69.4 points per game.
• In GLVC play, senior Johnathan Matthews is averaging 16.2 points per game, which ranks eighth, having reached double figures in each of those nine games. He also ranks 10^th in NCAA DII in free-throw percentage (90.9), having made 70-of-77.
• Senior Eric Dust follows with averages of 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in league play, and is shooting 55.2 percent from the floor, while redshirt junior Jason Towery adds 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per GLVC game, shooting 55.7 percent.

 
WITH A WIN ON THURSDAY…

• The Tritons would improve to 16-4 overall for just the third time in program history and the first since the 1990-91 season. Only the 1971-72 team has been 17-4.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Rockhurst is 10-9 overall, including 4-5 in the GLVC and 2-5 on the road. The Hawks have had nine games decided by six points or less, including five in the GLVC. They are 2-3 in those games. Four players average double figures in GLVC games despite the Hawks averaging a league-low 68.9 points per game. However, they rank just below the Tritons in fourth place in scoring defense (69.4 ppg).
 
William Jewell enters a Thursday game at Maryville at 9-12 overall, including 3-6 in the GLVC and 2-5 on the road. The Cardinals have lost four of their last five although the win did come at No. 22 Lewis (96-92). In GLVC-only games, WJC is second in scoring offense (80.4 ppg) and has two of the top five scorers in Keith Hayes (19.0 ppg) and Byron Harp (18.7 ppg).
 
SERIES HISTORIES
UMSL is 21-21 all-time against Rockhurst and has won five of the last six meetings, including a 79-49 decision in St. Louis last year.
 
The Tritons are 13-7 against William Jewell and defeated the then No. 20 ranked Cardinals, 77-74, in St. Louis last season.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL will play its next four on the road, beginning at Missouri S&T and Drury, next Thursday and Saturday, respectively.