UMSL Comes Up Short in Second Half

Slaten Scores Game High 21 Points in Loss

St. Louis, Mo. – The Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team got off to a hot start, but lost momentum in the second half to fall to visiting Drury University 74-68 on Saturday afternoon. Troy Slaten (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) led UMSL with 21 points, including 16 in the first half to help give UMSL the early edge, but it was not enough to get the win over the Panthers.

UMSL used some three-point shooting to take control in the first half. The Rivermen hit seven three pointers, getting at least one from five different players. Drury had the early lead at 13-8 when UMSL turned up the defensive pressure and went on a 13-0 run over the next six and half minutes. Troy Slaten got the run started with a three pointer, and Sherome Cole (Sikeston, Mo./Sikeston) connected from long range as well to help give UMSL and eight-point lead at 21-13. The Rivermen would take a 12-point lead at 30-18 after Joey Paul (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) hit another three pointer with six minutes left in the half as UMSL led 35-27 at halftime.

Drury quickly cut the UMSL lead down to five points in the early minutes of the first half, but a three-point field goal by Chris Mroz (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick) pushed the lead back up to ten points at 48-38 with 13 minutes remaining. The Panthers then took control over the next five minutes, using a 12-2 run to take their first lead since early in the first half at 52-50. The Rivermen stayed closed and trailed by one point at 53-52 with seven minutes left, but Drury pushed their lead back up to six points at 58-52, and extended it to as many as nine points before coming away with the 74-68 win.

UMSL was led by Troy Slaten with a game-high 21 points, including four three pointers. Jonathan Griffin (St. Louis, Mo./Normandy) and Joey Paul each scored 10 points for the Rivermen.

The Rivermen fall to 12-7 on the season and 5-6 in the GLVC. UMSL will be on the road next week to play at Saint Joseph’s on Thursday and at Indianapolis on Saturday.