Junior forward Mayson Quartlebaum matched his career high with 26 points in UMSL’s win over Missouri S&T on Thursday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri S&T (9-8, 3-7) | 26 | 49 | 75 |
| UMSL (8-10, 6-4) | 43 | 35 | 78 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
NORMANDY, MO — The University of Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team put an end to a three-game losing streak by picking up a much needed win Thursday night against Missouri S&T. The Tritons led by as many as 19 points in the first half, then had to withstand a furious second half rally by the Miners to hold on for a 78-75 victory in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest played at UMSL’s Mark Twain Building.
The win lifted UMSL to 8-10 on the season and 6-4 in the GLVC. With other action around the league, the victory also moved the Tritons into fifth place in the GLVC standings.
UMSL was in second place until its recent three-game losing streak dropped to club into eighth place, but the Tritons have the chance to move back as high as third if they can win their next game and get some help from others around the conference.
On Thursday, UMSL built its big lead thanks to some hot shooting and terrific defense in the first half. The Tritons shot 53 percent, making 16-of-30 shots, including six three-pointers, to score 43 points, while also holding S&T to 37 percent shooting (12-of-32 with only one three-pointer) and only 26 points.
Things flipped in the second half as the Miners shot 53 percent (18-of-34 with seven three-pointers), while the Tritons didn’t exactly go cold. They made 10-of-21 shots (48 percent), but committed nine turnovers that helped S&T get back into the game.
UMSL led comfortably, at 64-49 with less than seven minutes to go, but S&T went on a 12-3 to cut its deficit to six with 3:46 to go.
The Tritons hit a couple of jumpers to go back up by 11, but the Miners responded by scoring nine of the next 10 points to get within three points with 33 seconds left.
Fortunately, UMSL found its free throw shooting touch in those final seconds and made five-of-six — four by Savon Wykle — to hold S&T off and close out the game.
Junior forward Mayson Quartlebaum led the Tritons with 26 points. That total matched a career-high for the Lawrence, Kan., native. Wykle finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Kris O’Neal came off the bench to score 16 points, grab six rebounds, and dish out five assists.
The Tritons will go for their second straight home win on Saturday, when it hosts crosstown rival Maryville University. That matchup at the Mark Twain Building is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m.
Missouri S&T 75
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Okeke,Ikenna | * | 34 | 7-19 | 2-7 | 0-1 | 2-8 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 05 | Froebe,Kaden | * | 35 | 6-8 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 4-3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| 14 | Williams,Lovell | * | 33 | 3-10 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 34 | Young,Andrew | * | 31 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 02 | Benassi,Alex | * | 20 | 1-5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 03 | Smith,Julien | 20 | 8-12 | 3-6 | 4-5 | 0-2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | |
| 10 | Stovall,Cameron | 20 | 4-9 | 0-1 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | |
| 01 | Musemena,Manu | 7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 30-66 | 8-25 | 7-12 | 8-25 | 33 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 75 |
UMSL 78
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Quartlebaum, Mayson | * | 36 | 9-12 | 2-3 | 6-9 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| 20 | Wykle, Savon | * | 38 | 4-9 | 2-6 | 4-4 | 0-7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 35 | Glover II, Troy | * | 29 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 03 | Enright, Matt | * | 26 | 1-6 | 1-5 | 3-4 | 1-3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 21 | Kabala, Terrell | * | 23 | 2-7 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 05 | O’Neal II, Kris | 29 | 6-9 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0-6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| 04 | Bledsoe, Sam | 1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 12 | Prospere II, Emanuel | 18 | 0-4 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 26-51 | 9-23 | 17-24 | 4-31 | 35 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 78 |
UMSL TRITONS 2023-24 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Gametime | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Maryville | Mark Twain Building |
| February 1, 2024 (Thursday) | 7:30 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa / Dorman Memorial Gymnasium |
| February 3, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Truman State | Kirksville, Mo. / Pershing Arena |
| February 8, 2024 (Thursday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Illinois Springfield | Mark Twain Building |
| February 10, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Quincy | Mark Twain Building |
| February 15, 2024 (Thursday) | 7:45 p.m. | Away | Drury | Springfield, Mo. / O’Reilly Family Events Center |
| February 17, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. / John Q. Hammons Court |
| February 24, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | McKendree | Lebanon, Ill. / Harry Statham Court |
| February 29, 2024 (Thursday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Indianapolis | Mark Twain Building |
| March 2, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Lewis | Mark Twain Building |
| March 7-10, 2024 (Thursday) | TBA | Neutral | GLVC Tournament | TBD |