NORTH CANTON, OHIO - The remarkable 2021-22 season for the University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team came to an end in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16. 5-seed UMSL fell to 3-seed Hillsdale College in the Midwest Region Championship, 73-63. The Triton season was highlighted by a 2021-2022 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship and the first NCAA DII Tournament win in 34 years.

The Tritons (26-7) were not a "Cinderella Story." The UMSL men's basketball team was built on trust, hard work, toughness and senior leadership. That is why with 22 seconds left and the Tritons down by 10 points, head coach Bob Sundvold called a 30-second timeout. Sundvold brought the team together in a circle for one last time, not to draw up a play, but to say, "Thank you." Two words that encapsulate the feelings of so many members of the UMSL community.

"Being a part of a team that has done stuff that we really haven't done at UMSL, these seniors (Marquis Collins, Shane Wissink, Yaakema Rose Jr., Kellen King, Steve Webb, and Jose Grubbs) have really got a great legacy," Coach Sundvold said. "They established some things both on and off the court on [the UMSL] campus."

The 2021-22 team will be remembered for: The first UMSL men's basketball team to win the GLVC Championship Tournament. Only the second team in program history to make the NCAA DII Sweet 16. A win against Truman State when it mattered most to give UMSL their first NCAA DII Tournament win in 34 years. A 1,000 point scorer in Jose Grubbs. The new program record holder for three-point field goals made in Shane Wissink. The back-to-back-to-back GLVC Defensive Player of the Year in Steve Webb. Three GLVC All-Defensive Team members in Yaakema Rose Jr., Wissink, and Webb. Two All-GLVC First Team members in Marty Jackson and Rose Jr. A 12-game winning streak that ran from Feb. 7 to Mar. 12. The second-most wins in program history (26).

The Tritons were firing on all cylinders to start the game. UMSL sprinted to a 16-6 lead capped by a steal and fastbreak layup by Isaiah Fuller with 14:21 left in the first half. Hillsdale (23-7) took a timeout to try to slow the Tritons down.

UMSL was 10-for-13 from the field in the first eight minutes of play and held a 10-point lead. Hillsdale answered with a 17-4 run to take a 28-25 lead with 5:47 left in the first half.

The Chargers outscored the Tritons 7-4 the rest of the first half to take a 35-29 lead into halftime.

With 11 minutes to play and trailing 58-40, the Tritons sparked a 10-0 run to pull within eight points. Hillsdale was forced to take a timeout. The timeout righted the ship for the Chargers who kept UMSL at arms length the rest of the way.

Yaakema Rose Jr. led the Tritons with 18 points and four assists. Steve Webb scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Shane Wissink and Marty Jackson both scored 11 points. Jose Grubbs had seven rebounds. Isaiah Fuller scored nine points off the bench.

Yaakema Rose Jr. was named to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region All-Tournament Team.