ST. LOUIS – The No. 24 University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team extended its season opening winning streak to five with a 75-57 win over Michigan Tech on Wednesday on the final day of the St. Louis Union Station Hotel UMSL Thanksgiving Classic. The Tritons move to 5-0 while the Huskies drop to 2-3.

UMSL got off to a slow start missing six of its nine shots while Michigan Tech was just the opposite hitting six of its first nine attempts as the Huskies led by as many as seven in the first eight minutes of the contest. The Tritons still trailed by seven with 9:07 left in the half but went an 8-0 run over the next 2:13 to take its first lead of the game at 21-20 on a pull up jumper from the free throw line by Matt Enright.

The two sides swapped baskets over a three-minute span with Michigan Tech holding a 27-25 lead after a layup from Tyler Robarge with 1:23 left in the half. Donovan Vickers tied the game on the next possession with a pull up jumper at the left elbow and then UMSL got back-to-back threes from Vickers and Bowen Sandquist in the final minute of the half to give the Tritons a 33-27 lead at the break.

UMSL finished the half shooting 52 percent (14-for-27) but were 3-of-10 from three and 2-of-2 at the foul line. Vickers led the Tritons with nine points while Enright added seven.

The Huskies also shot 52 percent in the frame hitting 11-of-21 attempts including 3-of-8 from three and shot 50 percent from the foul line. Marcus Tomashek led Michigan Tech with nine points while Robarge had eight points.

UMSL opened the second half hitting nine of its first 14 shots outscoring the Huskies 21-10 to build a 54-37 lead after a jumper from Mayson Quartlebaum with 10:57 remaining.

The Tritons hit a brief cold spell on the offensive end allowing Michigan Tech to climb back within 11 with 8:21 to go.

That would be the closest it got as UMSL responded with seven straight points to extend its lead to 18 after an old fashioned three-point play from Isaiah Fuller after a steal near midcourt. The Tritons pushed their lead to 73-52 on a jumper in the paint from Trever Moore with 1:40 left.

UMSL shot 62 percent (18-for-29) from the floor in the second half including 4-of-7 from three to finish the game at 57 percent (32-for-56) from the field and 41 percent from three. It also shot 80 percent at the foul line for the contest.

The Tritons had four players reach double figures in scoring led by Fuller with 14 while Quartlebaum had a career-high 13 and Enright and Vickers finished with 12 points apiece. Fuller also had six rebounds.

UMSL outrebounded the Huskies 26-23 in the contest and forced 18 turnovers which it turned into 30 points. The Tritons also had a 46-24 advantage in points in the paint.

Michigan Tech was led in scoring by Robarge with 12 points while Dan Gherezgher added 10 points. The Huskies shot 48 percent (22-for-46) from the field, were 8-of-18 from three and shot 63 percent at the foul line.

UMSL returns to the court next Monday (Nov. 28) as it travels to Bolivar, Mo., for the start of GLVC play against Southwest Baptist at 7:30 p.m.