ST. LOUIS -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team clinched a spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament with its 74-63 win over Lewis on Chuck Smith Court at the Mark Twain Building on Saturday afternoon. The Tritons improve to 18-3, 14-1 GLVC while the Flyers drop to 14-8, 10-4 GLVC.

It was a quick start for UMSL with Anna Costa Riera scoring a driving layup on the first possession. The Tritons and Lewis traded baskets through the first half of the quarter, but back-to-back three-pointers by Lexi Hanna kept UMSL in front.

A six-point run towards the end of the first quarter gave the Tritons their biggest lead of the quarter but the Flyers scored the last five points to cut UMSL's lead to two heading into the second quarter.

Once again the Tritons jumped out to a quick start in the second, this time thanks to a layup by Morgan Ramthun. Lewis answered and UMSL traded chances through the middle of the second. A three-point make by Hanna with 5:26 to go in the quarter restored a two-point lead for the Tritons.

Hanna's three sparked a 16-4 run the remainder of the quarter giving UMSL a 39-28 lead at the half. Jayden Kuper added five points in the run while Ramthun dropped home four and Mara Rieder and Riera had two points apiece.

The third quarter started with the Flyers and Tritons trading two-point baskets. A six-point run by Lewis was answered by a seven-point run from UMSL in the second half of the quarter. Rieder stole the show in the stanza scoring 17 of the Tritons 22 points on 5-of-6 shooting and was 7-for-7 at the foul line.

Jaeda Wilson got the Tritons on the board early in the fourth, scoring UMSL's first six points of the frame as the Tritons led by as many as 14 at 69-55 after a jumper from Hanna.

UMSL's defense held the Flyers to just one field goal in the final stanza and that came with 0:29 on a layup from Yahaira Bueno. Most of Lewis' damage came at the foul line hitting 10-of-12 free throws in the frame.

The Tritons shot 47 percent (27-for-57) from the field including 6-of-11 from three and shot 88 percent at the foul line. They outrebounded the Flyers 36-to-30 in the contest. Rieder recorded her second straight double-double and 11th of the season finishing with a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds. Kuper added 18 points while Hanna chipped in with 11. Riera had a career-high nine assists in the contest.

Lewis shot 39 percent (22-for-56) from the field but was 4-of-18 from three and shot 83 percent at the foul line. Ally Cesarini led the Flyers with 13 points while Bueno and Mallory Ramage finished with 12 points each.

UMSL travels to Fayette, Iowa on Thursday (Feb. 12) for a 5 p.m. contest against Upper Iowa at Dorman Memorial Gymnasium.