Members of the UMSL women’s basketball team swarm teammate Jalysa Stokes in front of the bleachers after she sank a buzzer-beating shot to give the Tritons a 58-56 victory on Thursday against Indianapolis on “Pack the Stands” night at the Mark Twain Athletic Center. The victory proved key to helping UMSL secure the final spot in this week’s GLVC Tournament. (Photo by Patrick Clark/Athlete’s Eye Photography)
Women’s Basketball
The University of Missouri–St. Louis women’s basketball team came up short in an upset against Lewis, losing at home to the Great Lakes Valley Conference leaders 61-56 in their final game of the regular season. But the Tritons still managed to secure the final spot in this week’s conference tournament courtesy of a buzzer-beating shot by Jalysa Stokes from just inside the top of the key two nights earlier that gave UMSL a 58-56 victory over Indianapolis on “Pack the Stands” night at the Mark Twain Athletic Center. That victory gave the Tritons the edge over the Greyhounds in the battle for the No. 8 seed in the league tournament. The game-winning basket was the shot Stokes made on Thursday as she went 1 for 7 from the field, though she had seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Alex Wolff and Mara Rieder led the offense with 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Morgan Ramthun had nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds. UMSL held Indianapolis to 35.6% shooting. Wolff scored a career-high 24 points in Saturday’s loss to the Flyers, going 9 for 16 from the field and adding four rebounds. Emerson Weller scored 10 points off the bench, but the Tritons shot 38.3% from the field. UMSL (13-15, 11-11 GLVC) get another crack at Lewis as the two teams meet in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament at noon Thursday at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.
Men’s Basketball
The Tritons were no match for GLVC leader Indianapolis, getting outscored by 18 points in the first half of a 67-57 loss that clinched the Greyhounds’ second consecutive regular-season league title. But UMSL bounced back with a 74-70 victory Saturday in its regular-season finale against Lewis to look down the No. 7 seed in the GLVC Tournament. Savon Wykle finished with game-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers, on 7-for-11 shooting. Terrell Kabala, Matt Enright and Mayson Quartlebaum joined him in double figures with 15, 13 and 10 points, respectively. The Tritons shot 63% from the field in the game, including a sizzling 72.7% in the second half, to hold off the Flyers, who shot 67.9% after intermission. The game featured seven ties and seven lead changes. UMSL (13-15, 11-9 GLVC) will face No. 2 seed Upper Iowa in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.
Softball
The Tritons went 2-3 over the weekend at the Bearcat Classic played at O’Fallon Family Sports Park in O’Fallon, Illinois. UMSL won its first game in the tournament, beating Davenport 4-1, and it opened play Saturday with a 6-2 eight-inning victory over Purdue Northwest, but the Tritons lost 5-4 against Missouri Western State on Friday, fell 4-2 against Washburn on Saturday and lost to Missouri Western State 6-0 on Sunday. Third baseman McKenzie Lamos hit a two-run home run in the win over Davenport, and Katie Schaake surrendered only one run and seven hits with five strikeouts in the circle. Ashley Borowitz pitched all eight innings, surrendering two runs, one earned, and striking out eight against Purdue Northwest. The two teams were tied at 1 after seven innings, but the Tritons blew the game open with a five-run eighth. Irene Travis hit a two-run triple during the frame. UMSL (7-7) heads to Florida this week, where it will play 10 games in a six-day period, beginning Wednesday morning against Winona State.
Baseball
UMSL dropped a pair of games against Saginaw Valley State over the weekend but scored a 17-16 come-from-behind victory over Hillsdale in between with Andrew Buescher delivering a walk-off double in the ninth to complete a comeback from a 13-4 deficit. Buescher and Barrett Rose each homered and combined for five runs and eight RBI in the victory on Saturday. The Tritons had 15 hits in the game and took advantage of six Hillsdale errors. The offensive explosion came a day after UMSL managed one run, courtesy of a Zach Beatty sacrifice fly, in a 9-1 loss to Saginaw Valley. The Tritons fell to Saginaw Valley 18-13. Rose homered in that game and also delivered a RBI single in a seven-run seventh inning as he went 4 for 4 at the plate. UMSL dug itself far too big a hole after surrendering the game’s first 12 runs. UMSL (6-5) plays a doubleheader against Bemidji State on Monday before opening the GLVC schedule with a four-game home series against Drury beginning Friday.
Women’s Tennis
The Tritons fell to Rockhurst 4-3 on Saturday at the UMSL Tennis Courts. The Hawks swept three double matches to get the first point of the dual, and the Tritons couldn’t climb out of that hole despite splitting six singles matches. Maja Lietzau, Hannah Tse and Aleksandra Lopez picked up straight-sets victories in the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 singles matches, but Anna Domingo had to retire due to injury in the No. 1 singles match, and Anna Favaron and Lauren Sweeney both lost at No. 5 and 6 singles, respectively. UMSL (3-3) will continue a four-match homestand next Saturday against Michigan Tech.
Men’s Tennis
UMSL lost 5-2 in a home dual against Rockhurst on Saturday at the UMSL Tennis Courts. The Hawks took the doubles point despite Raphael Kerndl and Juan Vigil beating Josef Truhlar and Louis Keiner 6-4 in the No. 1 doubles match. The Tritons only singles victories came courtesy of Kerndl, who beat Augustin Cortes 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, and Gavin Sohn, who rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, (10-5) victory over Truhlar at No. 6 singles. UMSL (3-4) will play host to Michigan Tech on Saturday morning at the UMSL Tennis Courts.
Men’s and Women’s Swimming
The Tritons will send 10 swimmers to the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships, tying a program record. The national meet will be held March 12-16 in Geneva, Ohio. The invitees were announced last Wednesday, and five Tritons qualified in individual events, led by GLVC Freshman of the Year Justice Beard, who qualified in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle races. Senior Zara Konstapel will be making her third straight trip to the national meet after qualifying in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Senior Conley Savage is also making a return trip to the national meet after 100 and 200 butterfly and the 200 and 400 individual medley. Freshman Hendrik Bechtel qualified in the 200, 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle races, and sophomore Aaron Wicklund will be making his first national meet appearances in the 200 and 400 individual medley. Audrey Lantz, Ava Boehning, Madison Bottorff and Kate Nelson qualified together in the 200 freestyle relay, and Ella Lantz, Audrey Lantz and Nelson will join Konstapel in the 200 and 400 medley relays.
