Slaten, Ledbetter Lead UMSL Scoring Barrage in Win

St. Louis, Mo. – Troy Slaten (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) and Brett Ledbetter (Warrenton, Mo./Warrenton) both scored career highs to lead UMSL to a 92-68 win over Harris Stowe on Tuesday night. Slaten scored 25 points and Ledbetter scored 22, while Octavious Hawkins (Homestead, Fla./South Dade) pulled down 18 rebounds.

UMSL got off to a quick start, leading 12-4 in the opening five minutes of the game and never let Harris Stowe get close the rest of the way. After a bucket by the Hornets made it 15-9, the Rivermen got a three pointer from Troy Slaten, followed by a dunk from Octavious Hawkins and a layup from Brett Ledbetter to make it a 22-9 game with 12:47 left in the half. UMSL would carry that lead to the break, leading 45-33 at halftime. The second half was much of the same, as the Rivermen led by as many as 30 points at 78-48 after a three pointer from Stanley Boateng (Providence, R.I./Mount Pleasant) with nine minute remaining and went on from there for the 92-68 win.

UMSL was led by Troy Slaten with a career high 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range. Brett Ledbetter also had a career high with 22 points, hitting 8-of-14 from the field with three, three-point field goals. David Ward (Maryland Heights, Mo./DeSmet) had 14 points and six rebounds and Stanley Boateng added 12 points. Octavious Hawkins scored eight points and pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds while dishing out a team-high five assists. UMSL shot 55.4% (36-of-65) from the field and hit 48.0% (12-of-25) from three-point range.

The Rivermen are now 1-1 on the season and will host the UMSL Thanksgiving Classic this weekend. UMSL will play Central Bible College on Friday, November 24, at 5 pm, and then face Grand Valley State on Saturday at 5 pm.