KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team came up short in its 85-79 loss to Rockhurst on Thursday evening at Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse in Kansas City, Mo. The Tritons fall to 9-7, 3-4 GLVC while the Hawks improve to 10-4, 4-2 GLVC.

Rockhurst entered the game as the top scoring team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with over 88 points per game but UMSL's defense did a good job of holding them in check for a majority of the first half.

UMSL's offense got a spark from its bench in the form of Demetris Phillips and Vincent Davis III as the duo combined for 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in the frame.

Those two sparked the Tritons to their largest lead of the game at 30-22 with 7:20 left in the opening stanza but the Hawks got hot the final seven minutes of the frame outscoring UMSL 19-6 to take a 41-36 lead into the break.

Jaylen Wesley and Drenin Dinkins entered the game as the top two scorers in the GLVC at over 20 points per game. The dynamic duo combined for 12 of Rockhurst's 19 points during that run at the end of the half.

The Tritons opened the second half on a 22-11 run to retake the lead at 58-52 on two free throws from Phillips. UMSL appeared to have the advantage as Dinkins picked up his fourth foul and then said something to the official to receive a technical foul to foul out of the game.

Wesley took over scoring 12 of Rockhurst's next 17 points erasing the Triton six-point lead and gave the Hawks a 69-66 lead with five minutes to play.

UMSL pulled to within 69-68 after a layup from Taye Moore but wouldn't get any closer as Rockhurst pulled away with a 10-2 run over the next three minutes to build its largest lead of the game at 79-70 with 1:01 left.

The Tritons scored five of the next seven points to pull within 81-77 after a layup from Makeer Makeer but the Hawks hit their last four free throws to hang on for the victory.

UMSL finished the game shooting 46 percent (29-for-63) from the floor including 5-of-20 from three and shot 89 percent at the foul line. It outrebounded Rockhurst 39-to-27 but 15 turnovers led to 18 points for the Hawks. The Triton bench had the edge in points in the paint, second chance points and bench points.

Phillips led five UMSL players in double figures with an UMSL career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds while Moore added 19 points, all in the second half, and Colby Dolphin had 11 points. Davis and Makeer finished with 10 points apiece.

The Hawks shot 50 percent (24-for-48) from the field in the contest, was 7-of-15 from three and shot 77 percent (30-for-39) at the foul line. Wesley led all scorers with 28 points and he was joined in double figures by Peyton Newbern with 16 points while Dinkins finished with 13 points.

The Tritons conclude their road trip on Saturday traveling to Bolivar, Mo., to take on Southwest Baptist at 3 p.m. at the Meyer Sports Center.