BAYAMON, Puerto Rico -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team concluded their Puerto Rico trip with a 78-32 victory over Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The Tritons head into the break with a record of 9-2 while Catholic (PR) drops to 0-3.
 
Kate Rolfes started UMSL's offense with a three-point shot 14 seconds into the game. Pontifical Catholic answered with a three of their own as the game stayed close through the first quarter. Katie Hamill kicked off a run of seven unanswered points to give the Tritons a 20-11 lead heading into the second quarter.
 
An Addison Hefel defensive rebound on the Tritons defensive end led to an Alex Wolff layup to start the second quarter for UMSL.
 
Turnovers kept the game within ten points as Pontifical Catholic University was able to snap a three-point scoring run early with a block on Morgan Ramthun and a steal on the Tritons next play.
 
UMSL maintained its 13-point unanswered run through the midway point of the second quarter. The Tritons extended their lead to 38-18 before Pontifical Catholic University would find the basket again.
 
The third quarter started with an UMSL turnover, leading to a Kiara Collazo layup. The Tritons still maintained a 21-point lead.
 
Offensive rebounding by Wolff, Ramthun, and Rolfes gave UMSL second chance baskets. In the third quarter alone, the Tritons had six offensive rebounds compared to one for Pontifical Catholic University. Defensive rebounds were slightly closer with eight for UMSL and four for Pontifical Catholic.
 
The fourth quarter started slowly. Despite two turnovers by Pontifical Catholic University and one by the Tritons, no one could find the basket until Ramthun broke the deadlock with a jump shot.
 
Both teams continued to trade turnovers in the fourth. Emerson Weller and Mara Rieder scored baskets to extend the Triton lead, despite long periods of defensive back and forth in between.
 
Hamill, Wolff, and Abby Peterson lead the Tritons in scoring with 11 points each. Hamill added four rebounds and two assists to her stats, while Wolff had four rebounds of her own.
 
The Tritons shot 49.2 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from the three-point arc. The team also went 8-14 from the free throw line.
 
Pontifical Catholic University shot 28.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point arc. It went 3-5 from the free throw line. Collazo led the team in points with nine, adding three rebounds and a steal to her stats.
 
The Tritons return to action on Friday (January 3) traveling to Fayette, Iowa to face Upper Iowa at 5 p.m. at Dorman Gymnasium.