SETTING THE SCENE
The Tritons hope a return to the friendly confines of the Mark Twain Building this week will help them get back in the win column. Coming off three straight road losses, UMSL returns home for the last time this season to host Drury on Thursday and Missouri S&T on Saturday. Thursday will mark the annual Pack the Stands, while on Saturday, seniors Eric Dust and Johnathan Matthews will be recognized for their contributions to the program.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is 18-7 overall, including 9-6 in the GLVC and sit in a tie for sixth place in the overall league standings, a half-game behind Drury. They are also sixth in the Point Rating System, used to determine the league's eight-team postseason tournament in March.
• The Tritons' three-game skid began at Drury with an 84-68 loss on February 9.
• The Tritons are 12-3 at home compared to their 4-4 road mark.
• Senior Eric Dust averages 11.1 points per game and is coming off a weekend in which he averaged 18 points while shooting 66.7 percent (18-of-27) from the field. He is coming off a career-high 20 points at UIndy and also averaged 7.5 rebounds per game.
• After Dust, the next top scorer last week was sophomore Shane Wissink (8.5 ppg).
• Senior Johnathan Matthews leads the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game, including 14 per GLVC game, but scored just nine total points in last weekend's two games.
• The Tritons are shooting 47.1 percent from the field and are second in the league with a +6.3 rebounding margin.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Drury is riding a six-game win streak and is 15-10 overall, including 9-5 in the GLVC. The Panthers are 3-4 on the road, compared to 11-2 at home, but have had 10 games decided by six points or less, including six by two points, and are 2-8 in those games. In GLVC-only games, the Panthers own a league-best scoring defense of 67.2 and are second in field goal percentage, shooting 50.5 percent. The also sit atop the assists (19.57 apg) and steals (8.57 spg) categories.
 
Missouri S&T enters a Thursday game at Maryville with a 4-18 overall record, including a 2-12 GLVC mark. The Miners are 1-6 in road games.
 
SERIES HISTORIES
The Tritons are just 7-24 against Drury and have lost 11 straight in the series, although seven of those losses have come by five points or less, including three in overtime. Drury snapped UMSL's six-game win streak in the first meeting this season, an 84-68 win in Springfield, on February 9. The Panthers shot 59.6 percent from the field and drained a season-high 15 three-pointers. Senior Johnathan Matthews made all five of his long balls to finish with 15 points.
 
UMSL is 40-27 all-time against Missouri S&T and has won four of the last five meetings, including a 76-63 win in Rolla on February 7. Junior Jalen Wilkins-McCoy scored a career-high 21 points and added 12 rebounds to record his first double-double. UMSL used a late 14-3 second half run to pull away from the Miners.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL concludes the regular season next Saturday at Maryville.