KANSAS CITY -- The University of Missouri-St Louis women's basketball team stormed back for a 58-43 win over Rockhurst at Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse on Thursday night in Kansas City, Mo. The Tritons improve to 11-2, 7-0 GLVC while the Hawks drop to 6-6. 2-4 GLVC.
 
UMSL and Rockhurst went basket for basket in the first five minutes of the first half. Two made free-throws by Mara Rieder and a three-point basket by Jayden Kuper helped UMSL to pull away a little at the halfway point.
 
Depth scoring kept the Tritons in the lead with free throws from Morgan Ramthun and Addison Swadinsky and a pull up jumper by Kuper. The Tritons went into the second quarter with a four-point lead.
 
UMSL's shooting went cold in the second quarter, allowing the Hawks to take a one-point lead with six minutes to go. Rockhurst outscored the Tritons 16-4 over the first 7:36 of the stanza to take its largest lead of the game at 30-22 on a three-pointer from Macie Conway.
 
Kuper hit a three with just over two minutes to go, followed by a layup from Rieder to cut the Hawk lead to three. UMSL cut the deficit to 30-28 on a free throw from Rieder with 0:16 left in the half.
 
The Tritons stormed back in the third quarter, capitalizing off four early Rockhurst turnovers. UMSL built a ten-point lead while keeping the Hawks off the scoreboard for the first seven minutes of the quarter.
 
Despite streaky shooting, offensive rebounds by the Tritons helped to extend possessions and kept Rockhurst from having opportunities to score. Ramthun, Rider, Anna Costa Riera, and Lexi Hanna combined for eight offensive rebounds in the quarter.
 
The Tritons defense continued to come up big while Jaeda Wilson opened the scoring early in the final frame with a jump shot, adding a three point make a minute later. Hanna added a three to build the Triton lead to 13 with seven minutes to go in the game.
 
UMSL's defense limited the Hawks chances while working their way into the double bonus and adding to the lead through free-throws to maintain its double-digit lead.
 
Rockhurst shot 33 percent (17-for-51) from the field, was 5-of-16 from the three-point line and shot 57 percent from the free-throw line. Conway led the Hawks with 11 points while Alivia McCulla had 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.
 
The Tritons finished the game shooting 31 percent (21-for-67) from the field including 5-of-18 from three and shot 65 percent at the foul line. They outrebounded Rockhurst 52-to-33, had 14 assists and forced 16 turnovers.
 
Rieder recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and a career-high 16 rebounds with three blocked shots and a steal. Kuper had 11 points and three steals, Ramthun finished with 10 points and nine rebounds and Riera had seven assists, five rebounds and three steals.
 
UMSL is back in action on Saturday (Jan. 10) traveling to Bolivar, Mo., to take on Southwest Baptist at 1 p.m. at the Meyer Sports Center.