EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. - The No. 3 University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team battled to a 53-51 win over the No. 6 University of Illinois Springfield on Friday at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship Tournament. Both teams shot under 40% from the field in a hard fought defensive game. UMSL did find success beyond the arc, going 6-for-14 from three. The win gave the Tritons an all-time program record 23 wins this season.

Illinois Springfield (17-11) started the game with a pair of jumpers in the key to take an early lead. Mallory Ronshausen answered with a three for the Tritons (23-4). Ronshausen would score the first seven points of the game for the Tritons.

A Jalysa Stokes three with under a minute left in the first quarter gave UMSL a 12-11 lead.

The Tritons and Prairie Stars continued to trade small runs, never seeing a lead grow more than one possession in the second quarter.

Jalysa Stokes hit a three with 1:11 to play in the half to put the Tritons up by one. Lauren Ladowski answered with a three for UIS. Stokes buried another three with 16 seconds left to put the Tritons back up by one, but Malea Jackson was followed on a driving shot by Stokes to go to the line. Jackson would make both to give UIS a 26-25 lead entering halftime.

Kiara Stewart scored eight of the Tritons' 14 points in the third quarter. Stewart found success in the paint which started to open up the outside shot. When the middle was clogged, Stewart would bounce it back out. Jalysa Stokes benefited from the open looks, scoring the other six points for UMSL in the quarter.

The Tritons took a 39-36 lead into the fourth quarter. UMSL went on an 8-2 run to open the final period to take a nine-point lead.

UIS would chip away at the UMSL lead to get within one point at 48-47 with 4:24 left in the game. A jumper in the paint by Faye Meissner extended the UMSL lead to three points on the next possession. Defenses tightened up for the final four minutes as both teams combined for seven points the rest of the way.

Ally Gietzel scored on a jumper in the paint to pull the Prairie Stars within one. Ladowski hit two free throws with 1:39 to play to put the Prairie Stars up by one point.

Alex LaPorta answered on the very next possession with a triple to give UMSL a 53-51 lead with 1:18 left.

The Tritons would force a turnover and three missed field goals to hold on for the win.

Kiara Stewart led all scorers with 18 points. Stewart grabbed 13 rebounds to record a double-double. Jalysa Stokes scored 17 points off the bench for the Tritons. Alex LaPorta had seven points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

The Tritons advance to a GLVC Semifinal matchup with No. 2 Drury University at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Ill.