KIRKSVILLE, MO. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team saw its season end on Sunday afternoon with a 59-51 loss at Truman State in first round action of the 2016 GLVC Tournament.
 
The Tritons end their season with an 11-16 record, while Truman State improves to 20-9 overall and advances to the quarterfinals in St. Charles, Mo., on Thursday against No. 4 seed Quincy.
 
The Bulldogs fended off UMSL who had the ball down four points with 30 seconds to go, but a three-point attempt by junior Shea O'Brien bounced off the side of the rim and the Tritons were forced to foul and Truman successfully converted all four free throw attempts in the final 13 seconds. The Bulldogs finished the game 20-of-24 at the line.
 
Truman State had used a 9-2 run to turn a 44-43 lead into a 53-45 advantage with 3:23 to play, but UMSL scored six of the next eight points and pulled within 55-51 with 1:02 on the clock on junior Sydney Bloch's two free throws.
 
Bloch finished the game with 13 points and six assists, while senior Amber Daly finished with 10 points. Senior Kelly Kunkel closed out her four-year career with eight points and seven rebounds.
 
The Tritons shot 34.6 percent and held a 38-30 rebounding advantage, but turned the ball over 14 times to the Bulldogs' seven miscues. Truman State shot an even 34 percent.
 
The hosts clung to a 24-22 lead at halftime. The Tritons owned an early 7-3, but the Bulldogs followed with 12 unanswered and posted a 15-7 lead 80 seconds into the second quarter. Daly later capped a 15-7 UMSL run with 45 seconds on the clock with a pair of free throws, knotting the score at 22-22.
 
UMSL took a 29-26 lead two minutes and 15 seconds into the third quarter on junior Jordan Fletcher's lay in, but the Bulldogs answered with nine straight to ignite a 13-2 run, taking their largest lead of the game at 41-31 with 2:27 to play. The Tritons then closed the quarter with eight straight, pulling within 41-39 at the end of the frame.