Thursday, Jan. 30 | 7:30 p.m.
#15 UMSL (18-2, 9-1 GLVC) vs. Southern Indiana (14-4, 6-4 GLVC)
Live Stats | Live Video

Saturday, Feb. 1 | 3 p.m.
UMSL vs. McKendree
Live Stats | Live Video


SETTING THE SCENE

• After playing six of its last seven games on the road, including three straight, UMSL returns home to the friendly confines of the Mark Twain Building for a pair of games.
• The Tritons welcome Southern Indiana on Thursday night and McKendree on Saturday afternoon.
• The Tritons are continuing the program's best start, sporting an overall record of 18-2, which includes a 9-1 GLVC mark.
• UMSL sits in first place in the standings, one game ahead of Bellarmine, Rockhurst and Truman State, which are all 8-2.
• In the Point Rating System, used to determine the GLVC Tournament field and seedings, UMSL is second, while Southern Indiana is third.
• UMSL moved up three spots to No. 15 in this week's NABC Coaches Division II Poll, marking the program's highest-ever ranking. The Tritons earned the program's first national ranking since the 1990-91 season four weeks ago.

HOME SWEET HOME
UMSL is 9-0 at home this season. They were 13-4 a year ago and are 68-29 in the Mark Twain Building under seventh-year head coach Bob Sundvold.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
UMSL ranks third in NCAA DII in scoring defense (60.3 ppg), 11th in field goal percentage defense (.403) and 14th in steals per game (9.3).

20-20
UMSL is eyeing a 20-win season for the second straight year. The program has never had back-to-back 20-win seasons and has just won 20 or more games four times. Both the 1987-88 and 1990-91 teams won 22 games.

ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA

• Southern Indiana is 14-4 overall, including 6-4 in the GLVC, and have won five straight.
• The Screaming Eagles are 3-2 in road games, including 2-2 in GLVC play.
• They are tied for sixth in the overall standings, but are third in the Point Rating System.

UMSL-USI SERIES

• UMSL is 12-38 all-time against Southern Indiana.
• The Tritons snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Screaming Eagles with a 73-61 win in St. Louis last year during the regular season, but lost an 87-61 decision to the Screaming Eagles in quarterfinal round action of the 2019 GLVC Tournament.

ABOUT MCKENDREE

• McKendree enters a Thursday road game at Lindenwood at 10-8 overall, including 5-5 in the GLVC.
• The Bearcats are 1-3 on the road.
• McKendree has defeated three nationally ranked opponents this season (No. 9 Southern Indiana on Dec. 3; No. 25 Drury on Jan. 4; No. 16 UIndy, Jan. 11).
• McKendree is tied for eighth place in the overall GLVC standings and holds the eighth position in the Point Rating System.

UMSL-MCKENDREE SERIES

• UMSL is 18-8 all-time against McKendree, including 6-3 since the Bearcats joined the GLVC in 2013-14.
• The two teams split last season with each winning on its homecourt. UMSL posted an 87-55 victory in St. Louis, while McKendree won in Lebanon, 92-67.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• UMSL is averaging 78.0 points per game in GLVC contests, which ranks second the league.
• Four players average double figures, netting between 10.4 and 13.5 points per game for the balanced offensive attack.
• Junior Yaakema Rose Jr., coming off a season-high 26 points at Lewis last Saturday, averages a team-best 13.5 points per game. He  ups that average to 16.1 in GLVC-only games.
• Rose Jr. leads the GLVC in steals with 2.4 per game. He has 45 on the season and is four shy of entering the program's single-season top 10. Rose Jr. collected seven steals in last Thursday's win at Illinois Springfield, tying the second-best single game effort in program history.
• Junior Jose Grubbs follows with 12.8 per contest, while seniors Jason Towery and Jalen Wilkins-McCoy follow with 10.9 and 10.4 points per game, respectively.
• Seven different players have led the team in scoring, including five in eight GLVC games.

UP NEXT
UMSL plays its next four on the road, beginning next Thursday and Saturday at Quincy and Truman State, respectively.