LIBERTY, Mo. -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team held off a pesky William Jewell side for a 73-61 win on Thursday evening at the Mabee Center in Liberty, Mo. The Tritons improve to 19-6, 13-5 GLVC while the Cardinals drop to 5-18, 3-14 GLVC.
 
It took two minutes for either team to get on the scoreboard with William Jewell scoring first. After the initial basket, the two teams traded opportunities until a Mara Rieder layup started a six-point run for UMSL.
 
The Tritons were called for six turnovers in the first quarter but defense kept UMSL out in front. Emerson Weller's two defensive rebounds and positioning in passing lanes frustrated the Cardinals.
 
Alex Wolff started the second quarter with a jumper to extend the Triton lead to eight. After a basket from Kate Hillyer on the other end, the Triton defense held WJC to just one point over a three-minute stretch.
 
After the midpoint of the quarter, the game returned to back and forth play as the Cardinals began hitting three pointers to cut into the lead. Katie Hamill's old fashioned three-point play kept the Tritons in front.
 
UMSL led by seven after a Kate Rolfes three with 1:29 to play in the half but Jewell got a three from Ella Bockenstedt and a jumper from Paris Opelt to cut the Triton lead to 34-32 at the break.
 
The Tritons opened the third quarter on an 11-3 run behind five points from Rolfes while Hamill, Wolff and Morgan Ramthun added two apiece to extend the halftime lead to 10 points. The Cardinals drew to within seven after a three-point play from Kirsten Hauck with 6:10 left in the stanza.
 
A second Rolfes three sparked another run as UMSL doubled up Jewell over the next five minutes to take a 57-44 lead. The Cardinals got a jumper in the closing seconds from Hillyer to pull within 57-46 heading into the final quarter.
 
The Tritons opened the final frame scoring six of the first eight points to build their largest lead of the night at 63-49 on a jumper from Hamill less than two minutes into the stanza.
 
WJC wouldn't go quietly as it outscored UMSL 12-4 over the next four minutes to pull within 67-61 but that was as close as it got as Rolfes hit back-to-back threes to seal the victory.
 
The Tritons shot 40 percent (25-for-62) from the field including 6-of-18 from three and shot 81 percent at the foul line. Hamill and Rolfes had 19 points apiece to lead UMSL and were joined in double figures by Ramthun with 13 while Rieder added 11 more. Audrey Martinez-Stewart grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
The Tritons dominated on the glass outrebounding the Cardinals 45-to-27 including 16-5 on the offensive end. They turned those 16 offensive rebounds into 23 second chance points.
 
William Jewell was held to 39 percent (23-for-59) shooting for the contest, was 6-of-22 from three and shot 90 percent at the foul line. Hauck led three Cardinals in double figures with 17 points.
 
UMSL plays its final road game of the regular season on Saturday as it heads to Kirksville, Mo., to take on Truman State at 1 p.m. at Pershing Arena.