Men’s Basketball
The University of Missouri–St. Louis men’s basketball team rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit before pulling out a a 73-69 victory in overtime against William Jewell Thursday in the first Great Lakes Valley Conference game of the season. But Saturday’s second league game proved more difficult as the Tritons fell to Rockhurst 62-46. Thursday’s game was played at the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex at Missouri Baptist because of the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Volleyball Championship being held at the Mark Twain Athletic Center. UMSL didn’t appear bothered by the unfamiliar surroundings, shooting 50.8% from the field, including 17 for 27 (63%) in the second half to beat the Cardinals. Sophomore guard Matt Enright led four Tritons in double figures with 16 points, connecting on 8 of 14 field-goal attempts. Mayson Quartlebaum and Terrell Kabala had 15 each, and Emanuel Prospere II finished with 14. The Hawks were much stingier on defense in Saturday’s loss. UMSL shot only 36% from the field, including 6 for 21 in the second half while being outscored 42-17 while squandering a nine-point halftime advantage. Troy Glover II had 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Kabala led the way with 13 points. UMSL (3-5) will travel to Quincy on Thursday and Illinois Springfield on Saturday.
Women’s Basketball
The Tritons extended their winning streak to four games with a 74-60 victory over Upper Iowa last Monday night, but they soon stumbled into their first losing streak of the young season with losses to William Jewell (77-67 on Thursday) and Rockhurst (62-53 on Saturday) later in the week. As with the men’s team, Thursday’s game was played at the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex at Missouri Baptist. Junior guard Jalysa Stokes paced UMSL in scoring in all three contests, finishing with 24 points against Upper Iowa, 21 against William Jewell and 11 against Rockhurst. She was the only player to reach double figures against the Hawks, going 4 for 19 from the field on a day when the players collectively shot 36.1% from the field. Morgan Ramthun and Amaya Blake scored 16 and 10 points, respectively, against the Peacocks, and Blake had 17 against the Cardinals. In addition to the poor shooting, UMSL was hurt by 16 turnovers against Rockhurst – double the number it had against Upper Iowa. The Tritons (4-3) will look to return to the winner’s circle when they travel to Quincy on Thursday and Illinois Springfield on Saturday.