UMSL at Missouri S&T
Thursday, February 7, 2019
7:30 p.m. | Rolla, Mo.
UMSL at Drury
Saturday, February 9, 2019
3 p.m. | Springfield, Mo.

SETTING THE SCENE
The UMSL men's basketball team will take its five-game win streak on the road as the Tritons open a four-game roadtrip at Missouri S&T and Drury on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. After playing seven of its first 11 GLVC games at home, UMSL will close out the regular season by playing five of last seven away from the friendly confines of the Mark Twain Building, where they are 12-3.
 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is 17-4 overall, marking the program's best record since the 1971-72 season.
• The Tritons are 8-3 in the GLVC and sit in third place in the overall league standings and are fourth in the Point Rating System, used to determine the league's eight-team postseason tournament in March.
• UMSL has played just six games away from the Mark Twain Building, with four of those being considered "true road games".
• The Tritons received 15 votes in this week's NABC Division II Poll and are the third team outside of the Top 25.

 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Five of UMSL's last six wins have come by an average of 5.4 points, including its last outing, an 86-84 victory over William Jewell last Saturday, in which the Tritons used a 19-1 run to end the game to rally for the win, erasing a 16-point deficit.
• The Tritons are 46^th in NCAA DII in field goal percentage (48.4).
• Their rebound margin of 6.7 is 23^rd in NCAA DII. UMSL has outrebounded seven straight opponents.
• UMSL allows 69.6 points per game, which is 53^rd in NCAA DII. In GLVC-only games, their field goal percentage defense of 42.7 ranks first.

 
PLAYER NOTABLES

• Junior Ronnie Carson is coming off an 18-point outing against William Jewell, his first double-figure outing since Jan. 5 against Southern Indiana and his most points since he scored 19 against McKendree on November 29.
• Senior Johnathan Matthews has scored in double figures in 15 straight games and averages 16.0 points per game in GLVC contests. He's made 52 three-pointers and is shooting 43 percent from long range and is 16^th in NCAA DII in free-throw percentage (90.0).
• Senior Eric Dust averages 10.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest in GLVC-only games.
• Sophomore Anthony Hughes is coming off a weekend in which he averaged 17.0 points per game, while shooting 63.2 percent, including 70 percent (7-of-10) from three-point range. He had a career-high 22 points in the win over William Jewell.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Missouri S&T is 3-16 overall, including 1-10 in the GLVC, and have lost five straight. The Miners are 2-7 at home.
 
Drury enters a Thursday home game against Maryville on a three-game win streak and a 12-10 record, including a 6-5 GLVC mark. The Panthers are 9-2 at home. They've had 10 games decided by six points or less, including six by two points, and are 2-8 in those games.
 
SERIES HISTORIES
UMSL is 39-27 all-time against Missouri S&T and has won three of the last four meetings, including an 82-65 victory at home last season. They won the last game in Rolla, a 91-74 decision during the 2016-17 season.
 
The Tritons are just 7-23 against Drury and has lost 10 straight in the series, although seven of those losses have come by five points or less, including three in overtime. Drury posted a 102-69 victory last season in Springfield in the GLVC opener. UMSL's last win in Springfield came during the 2011-12 season, 78-61.
 
UP NEXT
UMSL travels to Lewis and Indianapolis next Friday and Saturday, respectively.