OPENING TIP NOTES

• UMSL (8-4 overall and in the GLVC) will play three games this week, beginning at Maryville on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.
• The Tritons conclude the week by returning home, hosting William Jewell at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Rockhurst on Saturday at 1 p.m.
• UMSL is 3-2 in road games and is coming off a 70-49 win at Quincy last Thursday in its last outing.
• The Tritons are 5-2 at home, having won their last four in the Mark Twain Building.
• UMSL was scheduled to play at Maryville on Dec. 20, but that game had to be rescheduled due to COVID-19 protocols.
• The Tritons defeated William Jewell, 86-58, on Jan. 3 in Liberty, Mo., and was scheduled to play at Rockhurst on Jan. 5, but that game was also postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

 
GLVC STANDINGS UPDATE

• UMSL is tied for fourth in the GLVC Point Rating System, used to determine the league's postseason tournament. The Tritons are tied with Lewis with 3.42 points.
• Maryville is ninth, sitting just outside the top eight to make the field, while William Jewell is 11^th and Rockhurst is seventh.

 
SCOUTING UMSL

• The Tritons are second in the GLVC in scoring offense (74.8 points per game) and third in field goal shooting percentage (45.5 percent), which is also 19^th in NCAA DII.
• UMSL is first in offensive rebounds (13.8) and second in rebounding margin (9.5), which is also 11^th nationally.
• The Tritons are second in the GLVC and 11^th in NCAA DII in assist-turnover ratio (1.29).

 
SIZING UP THE TRITONS

• Senior Alex LaPorta is fifth in the GLVC with 18.4 points per game. She is also sixth with 8.6 rebounds per game and third with 4.8 assists per game.
• Junior Kiara Stewart adds 13.6 points and 9.1 rebounds (fifth in the GLVC) per game. She also leads the league in field goal percentage (59.8).
• Sophomore Breanna Diestelkamp adds 9.5 points per game, while averaging just 13.9 minutes.
• Senior Danielle Berry is sixth in NCAA DII in assist-turnover ratio (3.79) with 14 turnovers to 53 assists. She is averaging 4.4 assists and a team-best 2.3 steals per game.

 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE

• Senior Alex LaPorta notched her 34^th career double-double in last Thursday's win at Quincy (18 points, 12 rebounds), which was her also her fourth of the season.
• Junior Kiara Stewart also had a double-double in that game (20 points, 10 rebounds) for her fifth of the season.

 
SCOUTING MARYVILLE

• The Saints are 6-6, including 4-2 at home.
• Jayda Jansen (17.8 ppg) and Antoinette Mussorici (17.7 ppg) account for half of the team's scoring offense.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• UMSL is 15-11 all-time against Maryville.
• The Saints have won the last two meetings, including a 62-53 decision at UMSL last year.

 

• SCOUTING WILLIAM JEWELL
  The Cardinals are 5-7 overall, including 2-4 on the road.
• Kiara Bradley is third in the GLVC in scoring with 20.9 points per game.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• UMSL is 8-4 all-time against William Jewell and has won the last four meetings, including an 85-83 decision on the road Jan. 3. The Tritons shot a then season-high 55.7 percent and owned leads of 27-12 after the first quarter and 47-25 at the half. Senior Alex LaPorta scored 15 points, including the 1,000^th of her career.

 
SCOUTING ROCKHUST

• The Hawks enter the week with a 5-3 record and will host Southwest Baptist on Monday and travel to Lindenwood on Thursday before visiting the Tritons on Saturday.
• Rockhurst is 3-1 in road games.
• The Hawks are second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 63.9 points per game. Their defense causes opponents to shoot just 37 percent from the field (second in the league), including just 25.3 percent from three-point range (first in the league).

 
SERIES HISTORY

• UMSL is 18-10 all-time against Rockhurst and has won three straight, including a 96-83 win in St. Louis last season.

 
UP NEXT
UMSL is at Southwest Baptist and Drury next Thursday and Saturday, respectively.