February 24, 2010

Women's Basketball Meets Saint Joseph's in GLVC Tourney

SETTING THE SCENE
For the first time since the 2005-06 season, the University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s basketball team will compete in the GLVC Tournament. The Tritons are the No. 3 seed in the West and will play a first round game against the North Division’s No. 4 seed Saint Joseph’s. The winner of that contest advances to Sunday’s quarterfinal round contest against host and East Division’s top-seeded Indianapolis, which is also ranked third nationally .

SCOUTING THE TRITONS
UMSL finished the regular season with an 11-16 record, including a 7-11 mark in the GLVC. The Tritons are led by sophomore guard Hailee Deckard’s 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while senior guard Kristi White adds 10.9 points and 3.6 assists per game.

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
After starting the season 1-7, UMSL is 10-9 in its last 19 contests. With a current record of 11-16, the Tritons have already surpassed the win total of the past two seasons (seven).

UMSL IN THE GLVC TOURNAMENT
UMSL is 2-4 in GLVC Tournament games. The Tritons lost their last outing, a 72-62 verdict to Indianapolis in the 2006 GLVC Tournament. The program’s last conference tourney win came in 2000 with a 62-57 win over Southern Indiana.

SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH’S
Saint Joseph’s posted an 8-19 regular season record and a 6-12 GLVC mark. The Pumas are paced by sophomore guard/forward Tatiana Ortiz’s 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

THE SERIES
UMSL has won four straight against Saint Joseph’s and hold a slim 12-11 lead in the series. The Tritons claimed an 81-65 victory earlier this season over the Pumas.

EARLIER THIS YEAR
UMSL 81, Saint Joseph’s 65 (Jan. 21, 2010 - St. Louis, Mo.)
Sophomore Caitlyn Moody torched the nets for a career-high 29 points in the win for UMSL. Moody netted 23 of her points in the first half, including 19 in the first 10 minutes of play and helped UMSL to a 50-30 halftime cushion. The Tritons shot 54.8 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes of play, including 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the three-point line. UMSL finished the game shooting 48.2 percent, including 57.1 percent from long range

SCOUTING INDIANAPOLIS
No. 3 ranked Indianapolis won its first 24 games of the season before dropping two of its last three. The Greyhounds stand at 25-2 on the season and went 16-2 in the GLVC. UIndy is led by Samantha Meissel’s 19.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Jessica Canary adds 14.4 points and 5.0 assists per game.

THE SERIES
Indianapolis holds a 15-8 edge over UMSL and has won the last four meetings, including an 89-61 decision earlier this season in St. Louis. The Tritons’ last win over the Greyhounds came in Indianapolis during the 2005-06 season with a 69-61 victory.

EARLIER THIS YEAR
Indianapolis 89, UMSL 61 (Jan. 9, 2010 - St. Louis, Mo.)
UIndy jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes of play before building a 37-10 advantage with just over four minutes on the clock. The Tritons then outscored the Greyhounds, 11-3, to close out the first stanza to trim the deficit to 40-21 at halftime. The Tritons committed 21 turnovers in which the Greyhounds took advantage, scoring 35 points on the other end. Junior Kelly Carter led the Tritons with 13 points, while sophomore Hailee Deckard followed with 12.

HEAD COACH LISA CURLISS-TAYLOR
Lisa Curliss-Taylor is in her third season as the head coach of the UMSL women’s basketball team where she owns a record of 25-57.

THREE’S THE WAY
In three years under the direction of Lisa Curliss-Taylor, the Tritons have been known for their three-point shooting. In her first season (2007-08), UMSL recorded 202 three-pointers, second most in a single season, and last year tallied 179, the fifth most in a single season. The Tritons have connected on 181 treys this year (currently the fourth best single season total), compared to their opponents’ 153.

THE WHITE STUFF
Senior Kristi White is the program’s all-time career three-point shooting leader (.405) and also ranks fifth in career three-pointers made (132) and is sixth all-time in career assists (296).

HOLDING THE THREE RANSOME
Senior Lindsey Ransome is also one of the program’s top three-point shooters. Ransome has drained 121 career three-pointers - the ninth best career figure in program history - and her career three-point shooting percentage of 34.9 ranks her ninth all-time in program history. Additionally, she has attempted 347 treys, the seventh most in program history.

KELLY MITCHELL CAN SHOOT THE THREE TOO!
Junior Kelly Mitchell is shooting at a 35.3 clip during her career from the three-point line, a figure that ranks as the sixth best career average.

CARTER CAN
Junior Kelly Carter leads the team in three-point shooting, connecting on 47.1 percent of her attempts. She is also among the team leaders in three-point makes, draining 33 - four better than the 29 she connected as a freshman and sophomore combined.

DECK THE FREE-THROW LINE
Sophomore Hailee Deckard has gone to the free-throw line 143 times this season - that’s more than twice of any other Tritons player. She has connected on 98 attempts for a 68.5 percentage. Her 98 free throws made are the third most by a sophomore in program history. She needs two to take over second place (99) and three to take over the top spot (100)- currently owned by current graduate assistant coach Courtney Watts (‘05-’06).
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