February 27, 2010

Women's Basketball Wins GLVC Tourney Opener, 85-73

Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s basketball team saw a 20-point first half lead evaporate midway through the second half, but was able to notch an 85-73 victory over Saint Joseph’s College in the first round of the 2010 Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Tritons, seeded third in the West Division, held a 43-23 advantage late in the first half before taking a 43-27 lead into intermission. Saint Joseph’s, seeded fourth in the North Division, opened the second half with a 17-7 run in the first five minutes, scoring 13 of those points off UMSL turnovers, to pull within 50-44.

The Tritons would then use a 10-4 run to up the lead to 60-48 with 11:09 to play on a bucket by senior Kristi White before the Pumas reeled off 12 unanswered points to knot the score at 60-60 with 7:29 to play.

However, the Tritons responded with nine straight points for a 69-60 lead on a jumper by junior Kelly Carter with 3:26 remaining en route to the win.

The win advances UMSL to quarterfinal round action tomorrow against host and East Division No. 1 seed Indianapolis at 1:00 p.m. (EST) contest.

Sophomore Hailee Deckard led the Tritons with 19 points and 11 rebounds, scoring 15 of her points in the second half, while White added 12 points and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds. Carter also scored 12 points and dished out six assists, while junior Kelly Mitchell and sophomore Caitlyn Moody finished with 11 points each.

Saint Joseph’s jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the first three minutes before UMSL reeled off seven straight points to pull within 10-9 on a Carter jumper in the lane with 15:07 on the clock. Then after SJC went up 15-11 on a pair of free throws, another UMSL seven-point spurt ignited a 29-5 run that gave the Tritons a 40-20 lead with just over three minutes until the half. Defensively, UMSL held the Pumas to just 2-of-15 shooting from the field during that stretch.

Saint Joseph’s outscored the Tritons, 7-3, in the final three minutes to cut the deficit to 43-27 at the intermission.

UMSL shot 46.9 percent from the field in the contest and held a dominating 55-26 advantage on the boards, including a 15-4 edge on the offensive end, and outscored the Pumas, 18-3 in second chance points.




UMSL finished the game with 19 turnovers, while the Pumas took advantage, scoring 30 points off the UMSL miscues.

Saint Joseph’s, which shot 39.3 percent, including 51.6 percent in the second half, ends its season at 8-20.

TRITON TIDBITS: UMSL improves to 13-11 all-time against Saint Joseph’s, while winning its fourth straight in the series… UMSL is now 3-4 in GLVC Tournament games and won its first league tourney tilt since a 62-57 win in 2000… sophomore Hailee Deckard set a school record for free throws made by a sophomore, netting her 105th… additionally she moved up to 5th on the single season charts with 105 free throws made and moved up to third in single season free throws attempted with 152.