UMSL Loses Down the Stretch to Lincoln

Wells Scores 24 Points; Rivermen Fall 64-63

St. Louis, Mo. – The UMSL men’s basketball team got an early lead, but could not hold on in the closing minutes of the game, falling 64-63 in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday night.

UMSL jumped out to the quick lead in the first four minutes of the game as the Rivermen led 14-7 in the early going. Larry Wells ignited UMSL, scoring 12 of those first 14 points, including two three pointers to give UMSL the lead. Lincoln then clawed back, using a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 17-14 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the half. The lead would go back and forth from there until Ronnie Banks hit a big three pointer to give the Rivermen the 25-23 advantage with just under eight minutes remaining. The Rivermen would push that lead out to as many as eight points with three minutes left and take a 34-29 lead going into halftime. Larry Wells had half of the UMSL points at the break, scoring 17 points by the intermission.

In the second half, the Blue Tigers came out fighting and scored the first seven points of the half to take the lead 36-34 with 17:30 on the clock. The Rivermen responded on the next two possessions, as Larry Wells and Ronnie Banks hit back-to-back three pointers to give UMSL the lead again at 40-36 with just under 16 minutes to play. Lincoln would get the lead back at 47-46 before two free throws by Banks got the lead back for the Rivermen at 48-47. The Blue Tigers would tie the game four times in the next five minutes and the two teams were knotted at 58-58 with just under three minutes to play. Lincoln then got a jumper in the lane from Jamal Burney to take a 60-58 lead, and the Rivermen could get no closer than the one-point final margin, falling 64-63.

The Rivermen were led by Larry Wells with a game-high 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Daryl Saine added 11 points and Ronnie Banks 10 in the loss. Lincoln was led by Martin Palmer with 19 points.

UMSL is now 5-21 on the season and will close out the regular season at home on Saturday. The Rivermen will host Southern Indiana at 3:15 pm at UMSL’s Mark Twain Building.