ST. LOUIS -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team used a big third quarter run to pull away for a 72-58 victory against Kentucky-Wesleyan on Friday evening on Chuck Smith Court at the Mark Twain Building. The Tritons improve to 3-1 while handing the Panthers their first loss to drop them to 2-1.
 
UMSL scored the first nine points of the game but Kentucky Wesleyan rallied outscoring the Tritons 18-4 over the final 5:30 of the opening frame to take a five-point lead into the second quarter.
 
The Panthers extended its lead to seven on a layup from Emma Bruwer to start the second quarter but UMSL responded with a 9-0 run to regain the lead on a three-pointer from Kate Rolfes.
 
KWC countered with a three on the other end from Shiya Hoosier but that was their last lead of the contest as the Tritons went on an 11-3 run over the next five minutes to grab a 33-26 lead on a layup from Emerson Weller.
 
The Panthers got an old fashioned three-point play from Sydnee Richetto at the end of the half to cut UMSL's lead to four at the break.
 
KWC cut the Triton lead to two scoring off a turnover to start the third quarter before Morgan Ramthun sparked a 10-0 run with a layup. Rolfes hit a pair of threes' in the run while Katie Hamill added two more.
 
The Panthers pulled to within nine after a three from Vilborg Jonsdottir but UMSL outscored KWC 11-6 over a span of 4:36 to grab a 14-point lead. Kentucky Wesleyan got two free throws from Arielle Dabu to cut the Triton lead to 12 heading into the final 10 minutes.

UMSL opened the final quarter on an 8-2 run to extend its lead to 18 after a layup from Audrey Martinez-Stewart with seven minutes remaining. That lead grew to as many as 20 with 3:16 to go after a layup from Mara Rieder.
 
The Panthers outscored the Tritons 8-2 over the final three minutes for the final margin.
 
UMSL finished the night shooting 47.5 percent (28-for-59) from the field including 7-of-20 from the three-point arc and shot 69 percent (9-for-13) at the foul line. Rolfes led all scorers with 20 points highlighted by six three-pointers and Ramthun added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan shot 38 percent (19-for-50) from the floor, was 9-of-29 from three and shot 79 percent at the foul line. Bruwer and Riley Neal lead the Panthers with 10 points apiece off the bench.
 
The Tritons return to the court on Tuesday (Nov. 26) as they travel to Hammond, Ind., to take on Purdue Northwest at 5 p.m.