ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- If you don't use it, you lose it.

But for the 9-2 UMSL Tritons men's basketball team (3-1 in the GLVC), they haven't missed a beat since their previous game, Dec. 20, at Wisconsin-Parkside.

Tuesday's GLVC showdown at home against the Maryville Saints (8-5, 2-3) went back and forth, up and down the floor, but in the end, UMSL emerged with the 76-62 GLVC victory.

With his right hand partially bandaged, senior Yaakema Rose went off, illuminating the scoreboard with his 26-point performance -- leading all scorers.

On this night, with the Saints' defense clamping down on 6'6", 190-pound Marty Jackson, Rose took the lead for UMSL. Rose, often sizing up his shot from the top of the key, found himself in the zone, guiding his Tritons to their ninth win of the season.

For the game, the Tritons fired off nearly 60 percent from the field, and added 73 percent from the charity stripe and shot 62 percent from the perimeter. The Tritons owned time of possession and led for 36:42 of the 40 minutes of play.

UMSL outscored the opposition by six points in the first half and eight points in the second (44-36).

With Rockhurst coming to town Thursday, UMSL will look to eliminate the uncharacteristic fouls that gave added opportunities for the Saints. But a strong defensive effort impeded the Saints from sustaining any game-altering runs.

Second-chance points and points in the paint proved to the difference as the Tritons kept the balance, converting 11 second-chance points and tallying 38 in the paint to the Saints' 22.

The Tritons sit in second place in the GLVC Central Division, right on the heels of Truman State.