ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team used a strong second quarter to defeat Truman State 80-61 on Saturday afternoon at Pershing Arena in Kirksville, Mo.

The Tritons improve to 9-12 including 7-8 in the GLVC while the Bulldogs drop to 5-15, 2-12 GLVC.

UMSL jumped out to an early five-point lead but Truman finished the quarter strong scoring 11 of the final 13 points to take a 15-11 lead into the second quarter.

The Tritons dominated the second stanza outscoring the Bulldogs 30-16 in the frame while shooting 72 percent from the field and forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over 12 times. UMSL used a 17-5 run over the span of five minutes turning a two-point deficit into a 10-point lead after a jumper from Amaya Blake.

Tori Standefer had six points in that run hitting a pair of three's while Audrey Martinez-Stewart added five points.

Truman got within seven on a three-pointer from Gracie Neff but the Tritons scored the final three points of the half to take a 10-point lead into the break.

UMSL carried that momentum into the third quarter as it shot 69 percent from the field as it doubled up the Bulldogs 22-11 to take a 63-42 lead into the final 10 minutes of play. Alex Wolff scored 10 points in the stanza while Blake and Emerson Weller added six points each.

Truman cut the deficit to 14 points four minutes into the final frame but wouldn't get any closer as the Tritons put the game away with a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to take its largest lead of the game at 80-56 on a jumper by Blake.

UMSL finished the game shooting 53 percent (30-for-57) from the field including 3-of-10 from three and shot 77 percent at the foul line. Blake finished with a season-high 20 points and matched her career-high with six assists. Wollf finished with 14 while Weller, Martinez-Stewart and Morgan Ramthun had 11 points each. Ramthun and Mara Rieder had seven rebounds apiece.

The Bulldogs shot 45 percent (21-for-47) from the field including 9-of-19 from three and 91 percent at the foul line but turned the ball over 23 times resulting in 32 points for the Tritons. UMSL also outscored Truman 48-22 in points in the paint.

Clare Rake went 6-for-6 from the floor including 4-of-4 from three to finish with 16 points for the Bulldogs while Ellie Weltha added 12 points and seven rebounds.

The Tritons are back at home this Thursday (Feb. 8) hosting Illinois Springfield at 5:30 p.m. at the Mark Twain Building.