Forward Mara Rieder averaged 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds while leading the women’s basketball team to wins against Indianapolis and Lewis. (Photo by Patrick Clark/Athlete’s Eye Photography)
Women’s Basketball
The University of Missouri–St. Louis women’s basketball team has already clinched a berth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament after beating Indianapolis and Lewis last week to improve to 14-1 in league play. The Tritons beat the Greyhounds 64-51 last Thursday and knocked off Lewis 74-63 on Saturday at the Mark Twain Athletic Center. Forward Mara Rieder led the way in both victories, averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds as she posted her 10th and 11th double-doubles of the season. Rieder led four players in double figures with 19 points and 12 rebounds against UIndy. Anna Costa Riera scored 14 points, Morgan Ramthun had 13, and Jayden Kuper added 12. UMSL only shot 39.7% from the field, including 4 for 22 from 3-point range, but its defense was strong throughout, holding the Greyhounds to 39.2% shooting and forcing 14 turnovers. Offense came a little easier against the Flyers. Rieder scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Saturday’s win. Kuper added 18 points, and Lexi Hanna scored 11. The Tritons connected on 6 of 11 3-pointers. They also put together another strong defensive effort, holding Lewis to 39.3% shooting, including 4 for 18 from 3-point range. UMSL (18-3, 14-1 GLVC) sits atop the conference standings with a one game lead over second-place Drury and will hit the road this week for games at Upper Iowa on Thursday and Quincy on Saturday.
Men’s Basketball
The Tritons climbed back above .500 in conference play after knocking off Indianapolis and Lewis last week at the Mark Twain Athletic Center. Jake Hamilton scored 18 points and Taye Moore added 13 to lift UMSL to a 62-58 victory over the Greyhounds on Thursday. The Tritons led 35-27 at halftime and watched UIndy crawl as close as two points after intermission, but they never relinquished the lead. UMSL held the Greyhounds to 31.3% shooting in the second half and 32.3% shooting in the game. The Tritons were tied at halftime against the Flyers on Saturday but pulled ahead after intermission for a 63-53 win. Demetris Phillips led four players in double figures with 19 points. Hamilton scored 12, and Vincent Davis III and Miles Boland had 10 each. UMSL held Lewis to 39.6% shooting, including 6 for 23 from 3-point range. The Tritons (14-10, 8-7 GLVC) are in eighth place in the league standings and will play road games at Upper Iowa and Quincy in the week ahead.
Baseball
UMSL went 1-3 last week as it opened its season in the Edmond First Pitch Classic in Edmond, Oklahoma, and began a two-game series with Oklahoma Baptist. The Tritons took a pair of lopsided seven-inning losses against Pittsburg State on Thursday and Emporia State on Friday. They bounced back to beat Central Oklahoma 12-1 in seven innings on Saturday in their last game of the tournament. Starter Eli Cartwright pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings and recorded eight strikeouts while picking up the win. Owen Faith and Mitch Bonczkowski each homered and drove in three runs. Justin Terhaar had three hits and two RBI, and Ayden Cline also drove in two runs. UMSL dropped the first game of a two-game set against Oklahoma Baptist on Sunday even though it played even with the Bison through nine innings. Quinn Johnson hit an RBI double off Trey Schneider in the 10th inning to give Oklahoma Baptist a 2-1 victory. Schneider and starter Will O’Gorman had combined to limit the Bison to one run on four hits while striking out nine through the first nine innings. UMSL will wrap up its series with Oklahoma Baptist on Monday and heads back to Oklahoma next weekend for a three-game series against Rogers State.
Men’s Tennis
The Tritons fell to Division I Saint Louis University 5-2 Saturday in their first dual meet of the spring season at the Missouri Athletic Club West. Percy Siercke and Tommy Griese won the No. 1 doubles match 6-1 over Sacha Lefebure and Adrien Ducruet, but the Billikens claimed the other two matches and the doubles point. UMSL got singles victories from Griese and Tanin Ramnath. Griese topped Declan Townsend in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles while Ramnath won the No. 5 singles match 6-4, 7-7 (5) over Valentin Vasquez. The Tritons will be back in action on Friday when they take on Quincy at the Quincy Racquet Club.
