UMSL’s Isaiah Fuller lines up for a free throw during the Tritons’ big win over Wisconsin-Parkside, Saturday afternoon at the Mark Twain Building. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin-Parkside (10-3) | 17 | 44 | 61 |
| UMSL (12-0) | 32 | 51 | 83 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
NORMANDY, MO — The No. 5-ranked team in the country looked every bit like one of the best teams in the land, Saturday afternoon, when the University of Missouri-St. Louis walloped Wisconsin-Parkside, 83-61, in an NCAA Division II men’s basketball game at UMSL’s Mark Twain Building.
Five different Triton players scored in double figures, led by junior forward Dylan West, who came off the bench to score 16 points. Senior Victor Nwagbaraocha had 15 points, including two on a massive dunk late in the game that brought the entire building to its feet.
Drew Cisse, Isaiah Fuller, and Janeir Harris each added 12 points, as UMSL shot 57.4 percent from the floor, won the rebounding battle 40-27, outscored the Rangers 60-14 in the paint, and never trailed against against UWP team that came into Saturday’s contest having won six in a row.
The Tritons began the game with a 19-5 run and led 32-17 at halftime.
Parkside did manage to cut its deficit to eight points early in the second half, but UMSL responded with a 13-4 run to make the score 56-39 midway through. Then, after a couple of UWP baskets, the Tritons went on another 15-4 run — capped by Nwagbaraocha’s fast break jam, that put UMSL up 74-52 with four minutes to go.
The victory lifted UMSL’s season record to 12-0 — the best season start in school history — and also tied the program record for second longest winning streak ever.
The all-time school record for consecutive wins is 13 straight, which was set by the 1971-72 team and last year’s squad, which reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
This year’s Tritons will try to tie the record on Thursday, when they’ll travel to Kansas City to resume Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a game against Rockhurst.
If UMSL wins that game, it will get its chance to set a new all-time win streak record next Saturday, when the Tritons will host crosstown rival, Maryville University, in another GLVC game at the Mark Twain Building. That matchup is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m.
Wisconsin-Parkside 61
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Rasheed Bello | * | 37 | 9-18 | 5-8 | 5-8 | 1-2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 28 |
| 24 | Jamir Simpson | * | 28 | 5-10 | 1-3 | 6-7 | 0-5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 20 | Colin O’Rourke | * | 31 | 2-10 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 4-4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 03 | Josiah Palmer | * | 28 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 04 | Ethan Ivan | * | 11 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Jacksun Hamilton | 30 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 1-4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 02 | Javon Johnson | 24 | 0-3 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 44 | Sanmi Fajana | 8 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 05 | Brett Myre | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 19-53 | 9-20 | 14-26 | 8-19 | 27 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 61 |
Missouri-St. Louis 83
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Victor Nwagbaraocha | * | 28 | 7-8 | 1-1 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| 10 | Janeir Harris | * | 24 | 4-6 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0-8 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 03 | Matt Enright | * | 23 | 2-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 15 | Mayson Quartlebaum | * | 14 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Bowen Sandquist | * | 26 | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Dylan West | 14 | 7-8 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 3-1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | |
| 11 | Isaiah Fuller | 24 | 5-11 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 0-3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |
| 23 | Drew Cisse | 12 | 6-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| 04 | Donovan Vickers | 17 | 2-7 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1-3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 05 | Trever Moore | 15 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 01 | Patrick Robinson, Jr. | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Sam Bledsoe | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 | Brennan Weller | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 35-61 | 5-10 | 8-13 | 8-32 | 40 | 19 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 83 |
| 2022 UMSL Tritons Upcoming Men’s Basketball Schedule |
| Thu., January 5 — at Rockhurst* — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 7 — vs. Maryville* — 3 pm |
| Thu., January 12 — at McKendree* — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 14 — at Indianapolis* — 3 pm |
| Mon., January 16 — at Lewis* — 7:30 pm |
| Thu., January 19 — vs. Quincy* — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 21 — vs. Illinois-Springfield* — 3 pm |
| Thu., January 26 — at William Jewell* — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., January 28 — at Truman State* — 3 pm |
| * – Denotes Great Lakes Valley Conference game |
| All UMSL home games will be played at the Mark Twain Building. |