Point guard Yaakema Rose will lead the UMSL basketball team into its first contest of 2022, when the Tritons host Maryville, Tuesday night at the Mark Twain Building. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)
UMSL Men’s Basketball – Gameday Info
Game No. 11 – Maryville Saints (8-4, 2-2) at UMSL Tritons (8-2, 2-1)
Date/Time – Tuesday, January 4 – 6 pm
Location – Mark Twain Building – St. Louis, MO
Broadcast – GLVC Sports Network
Live Stats – Sidearm Stats
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
After more than two weeks off since it played its last game, and nearly two months since it played its last home game, the University of Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team will return to action Tuesday night at the Mark Twain Building, with a key Great Lakes Valley Conference contest against crosstown rival, Maryville University.
The 2021 calendar year ended with UMSL and Maryville tied for second place in the GLVC Central Division, but the Saints lost their first game of 2022 (this past Sunday against Quincy), to fall 1/2 game behind the Tritons.
Both clubs are chasing preseason favorite, Truman State, which is undefeated in league play so far this season. But with UMSL having already lost to Truman and Maryville coming off a defeat it didn’t expect, both the Tritons and Saints will be looking for a win on Tuesday to help them keep pace with the first-place Bulldogs.
Players to Watch: The key figure on UMSL’s squad is senior point guard Yaakema Rose. The former first team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team member is averaging 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while also ranking second in the conference in assists (4.5 per game) and first in steals (2.8 per game).
Rose does it all for the Tritons, but their two leading scorers are frontcourt mates, Marty Jackson and Jose Grubbs. Jackson leads UMSL overall, and ranks sixth in the GLVC, with 16.6 ppg, and Grubbs, who is second in the conference in three-point shooting with a .529 shooting percentage, averages 13.2 ppg.
Maryville, which got off to a terrific start this season by winning seven of its first eight games, but has since lost three of its last four (plus an exhibition game against Southern Illinois on December 18), has three quality scorers it relies on.
Sophomore guards Ari Jackson (13.3 ppg) and Kelvin Swims (11.6 ppg) often handle the ball and like to push the pace on fast breaks, while senior forward Cameron Scales (12.0 ppg) is often Maryville’s primary scorer when it runs its sets and plays.
Up Next: Tuesday’s contest is the first of a three-game homestand this week for the Tritons to open the 2022 calendar year. UMSL will play Rockhurst on Thursday, January 6, and Missouri S&T, on Saturday, January 8.
Tipoff for Thursday’s contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., while the game on Saturday is set to begin at 3 p.m.
Maryville’s next game will be another road game for them, on Thursday, when the Saints will travel to Liberty, Mo., to take on William Jewell.
Probable Starters
Maryville (8-4, 2-2) Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. PPG RPG
11 Cameron Scales Sr. F 6-4 190 12.0 5.3
12 Kelvin Swims So. G 6-1 175 11.6 4.1
5 Daniel Farris Sr. G 5-11 195 8.8 3.6
15 Ari Jackson So. G 6-4 195 13.3 3.6
35 Harrison Vickers So. G 6-4 190 6.3 2.5
UMSL (8-2, 2-1) Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. PPG RPG
2 Shane Wissink Sr. G 6-0 185 6.1 3.2
4 Yaakema Rose Sr. G 5-9 180 11.1 5.5
21 Marty Jackson Jr. F 6-6 190 16.6 6.4
23 Steve Webb Sr. G 6-2 195 5.1 4.0
35 Jose Grubbs Sr. F 6-3 195 13.2 5.1
| UMSL Tritons Men’s Basketball Upcoming Schedule |
| Tue., January 4 — vs. Maryville — 6 pm |
| Thu., January 6 — vs. Rockhurst — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 8 — vs. Missouri S&T — 3 pm |
| Thu., January 13 — at Lewis — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 15 — at Illinois-Springfield — 3 pm |
| Mon., January 17 — at Indianapolis — 6:30 pm |
| Thu., January 20 — vs. #19 Truman State — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 22 — vs. Quincy — 3 pm |
| All UMSL home basketball games will be played at the Mark Twain Building. |