OWENSBORO, Ky. -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team concluded their three-game road stretch with a dominant 69-32 win over Kentucky-Wesleyan at the Woodward Health and Recreation Center on Friday evening. The Tritons improve to 2-1 on the season while the Panthers are 2-2.
After a sluggish team start,
Mara Rieder made back to back two-point shots to give UMSL the lead three minutes into the first quarter. It was a lead the Tritons would not relinquish for the rest of the quarter.
Kentucky Wesleyan battled back in the second quarter, taking the lead with seven minutes to go. Once again, Rieder found the basket on a pull up jump shot to even the score. Her and-one free-throw put UMSL ahead for good.
The Tritons ran away with it in the third quarter with a
Jayden Kuper jump shot starting UMSL on a 10-point run where
Lexi Hanna and
Anna Costa Riera both made three-pointers.
The Tritons allowed just two points from the Panthers for the last 5:31 of the quarter.
Jaeda Wilson continued the three-point scoring for UMSL early in the fourth quarter, continuing to build the lead. Her three started a seven-point run for the Tritons. UMSL held the Panthers just four points in the final five minutes of the game.
Rieder led the Tritons with 18 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
Morgan Ramthun had 11 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. UMSL was 24-for-51 (46 percent) from the field, including 7-of-20 from three and shot 78 percent at the foul line. It outrebounded KWC 40-to-24.
The Panthers were held to 9-for-47 (19 percent) shooting, went 3-of-23 from three and shot 73 percent at the foul line. Riley Neal led KWC with six points.
The Tritons host Purdue Northwest in its home opener next Tuesday (Nov. 25) at 2 p.m. at the Mark Twain Building.