Thursday, Jan. 23 | 7:30 p.m.
#18 UMSL (16-2, 7-1 GLVC) at Illinois Springfield (9-7, 2-6 GLVC)
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Saturday, Jan. 25 | 3 p.m.
UMSL at Lewis
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SETTING THE SCENE

• UMSL concludes a three-game road trip this week, traveling to Illinois Springfield on Thursday before trekking further north to Lewis on Saturday.
• The Tritons are off to the best start in program history at 16-2 and are 7-1 in the GLVC. UMSL is tied for first in the standings with Bellarmine and sit in second place in the Point Rating System, used to determine the GLVC Tournament field and seeding.
• UMSL remains No. 18 in this week's NABC Coaches Division II Poll. The Tritons earned the program's first national ranking since the 1990-91 season three weeks ago.
• UMSL opened a three-game week by posting a 103-80 victory at Lindenwood on Monday night before a season-high 65.1 percent shooting.
• Thursday's game in Springfield will be a homecoming for junior Yaakema Rose Jr., who hails from Illinois state capital and prepped at Lanphier High School, while Saturday's game in Romeoville will be a homecoming for junior Jose Grubbs, a native of Joliet, which is just six miles south of Lewis.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
UMSL ranks second in NCAA DII in scoring defense (60.4 ppg), 15th in field goal percentage defense (.402) and 18th in steals per game (9.2).

OTHER NATIONAL STATISTICS
UMSL is seventh in NCAA DII in rebounding margin (9.0), ninth in turnovers per game (10.2), 11th in scoring margin (17.5 ppg) and 11th in assist-turnover ratio (1.54).

ABOUT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD

• The Prairie Stars are 9-7 overall and 2-6 in the GLVC and have lost four straight.
• UIS is 6-2 at home.
• Five different players average double figures.

UMSL-UIS SERIES

• UMSL is 10-4 all-time against Illinois Springfield.
• The two teams split the series last year, each winning on the road. The Prairie Stars earned an 83-74 win in St. Louis, while UMSL posted a 76-71 victory in Springfield.

ABOUT LEWIS

• The Flyers enter a Thursday home game against Lindenwood at 9-7 overall and 4-4 in the GLVC.
• Lewis is 5-1 at home, dropping just a one-point game in its home opener back in November.
• They Flyers are sixth in league games in scoring defense, allowing 68.3 points per game.

UMSL-LEWIS SERIES

• Lewis leads the series, 22-8.
• UMSL lost a 63-49 decision in Romeoville last year in the only meeting.
• This is the third straight year UMSL has gone to Lewis in regular season play.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is averaging 80.0 points per game in GLVC contests, which leads the league.
• Four players average double figures, netting between 10.7 and 12.8 points per game for the balanced offensive attack.
• Junior Jose Grubbs, coming off 21 points at Lindenwood, averages 12.8 per contest, while junior Yaakema Rose Jr. follows at 12.7 despite averaging just 6.5 in the last two outings.
• Seniors Jason Towery and Jalen Wilkins-McCoy follow with 11.0 and 10.7 points per game.
• Seven different players have led the team in scoring, including five in eight GLVC games.

STREAKING
UMSL had a 13-game win streak snapped in a five-point loss at No. 1 Bellarmine last Thursday. It was the longest win streak in program history.

UP NEXT
UMSL returns home next Thursday and Saturday, hosting Southern Indiana and McKendree, respectively.