ST. LOUIS -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team eked out a thrilling 49-48 win over the University of Illinois Springfield on Thursday evening at the Mark Twain Building. The Tritons improve to 15-4, 9-3 GLVC while the Prairie Stars fall to 4-16, 4-9 GLVC.
 
It was a slow first quarter for UMSL who started out with a Morgan Ramthun driving layup, before trailing off on the scoring front.
 
UIS answered the opening basket with a layup of their own, before going quiet as well towards the middle of the quarter, allowing the Tritons to jump to an 8-4 lead
 
A Kate Rolfes three-pointer with just over a minute left helped stop a Prairie Stars run, though UIS answered with a layup just a few seconds later. The Tritons went into the second quarter with an 11-9 lead.
 
The Prairie Stars opened the second frame with eight straight points to take its largest lead of the game at 17-11 after a three-pointer from Makenna Yaeger.
 
Just over halfway through the quarter, Mara Rieder made a layup to put the Tritons back on top. The lead would continue to change hands until another Rieder jump shot gave the Tritons a one-point lead with four minutes left.
 
Alex Wolff would make her jump shot to extend the Triton lead to 23-20 going into the half. For the final four minutes of play in the second quarter, UMSL did not allow UIS to score a single point.
 
UMSL started the third quarter with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 11 points. The Tritons continued their defensive work, preventing UIS from scoring for around the first four minutes of action. The first Prairie Star points came on a free throw.
 
Early foul trouble and turnovers allowed UIS to creep back into the game in the fourth quarter, although the Tritons offense managed to maintain an 11-point lead. At the halfway mark of the quarter, UMSL's lead dwindled to seven
 
UIS rallied thanks to a 12-0 run to take a 49-48 with 28 seconds left on a free throw from Diavian Mehundrew.
 
UMSL called timeout to advance the ball, Katie Hamill received the ball on the inbound pass and held it as the clock wound down, she drove to the basket and was fouled with 2.9 seconds remaining and hit both free throws to put the Tritons back on top.
 
The Prairie Stars had one final chance as Kayla Rice drove to the basket but her layup was short and Ramthun pulled down the rebound as the buzzer sounded to seal the win.
 
As a team, the Tritons shot 38 percent (21-for-55) from the field, were 3-of-12 from the three-point arc but shot 44 percent (4-for-9) from the free throw line. Hamill lead UMSL with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Ramthun had 11 points and four rebounds.
 
UIS shot 35 percent (16-for-46) from the field, was 4-of-15 from the three-point arc and shot 67 percent (12-for-18) at the foul line. Rice had 18 points and two rebounds to lead the Prairie Stars.
 
The Tritons face McKendree (11-7, 7-5 GLVC) at the Mark Twain Building this Saturday at 1 p.m.  Alumni Day will also be celebrated for all of Athletics.