Box Score

ROLLA, Mo. -- Missouri S&T was able to keep Troy Long under control for a good portion of the second half, but Long got hot at a time when the Miners went cold from the field and led Missouri-St. Louis to a 79-70 victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play Saturday afternoon at Billy Key Court.

Long had 14 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, but scored 10 of them in a stretch where the Tritons outscored S&T 18-3 after trailing 51-49 with 6:50 remaining in the contest.

The Miners trailed by 11 at the intermission, but clawed their way back into the game over the course of the first 13 minutes of the second half.  S&T kept the Tritons scoreless for the first 5:31of the half and cut that lead to three on a basket by Tommy Pelczynski (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) at the 15:27 mark.   UMSL's Aaeron Smith converted a three-point play to get the Tritons their first points of the half, but the Miners scored seven of the next nine points to get to within one when Carlton Westbrook (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) drained a three-pointer with 11:46 to play.

S&T, who had not led in the game since the 14:48 mark of the first half, took its first lead of the second half with 8:41 to go when Michael Jackson (Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) forced a steal and then scored on a lay-in at the other end to put the Miners up 49-47.  UMSL's Justin Hightower made two free throws to tie it, but Westbrook hit a pair with 6:50 to go to put S&T back in front.

However, Joshua McCoy hit a three-pointer on the Tritons' next trip down the floor, then Long started his scoring binge after Zach Redel tipped a ball heading out of bounds to him and he proceeded to nail a three-pointer from the corner.  Pelczynski hit a three at the other end to trim the lead back to one, but Long hit another trey at the 4:52 mark to start a 12-0 run that put the Miners into a 13-point hole.

The Miners finished the afternoon by shooting 40.7 percent from the floor and made seven-of-17 from three-point range, but the Tritons were just a little better from the field at 41.8 percent and outscored S&T 26-15 at the free throw line.

Pelczynski led a four-player contingent in double figures for the Miners with 18 points, as he made seven of his 11 shots including a pair of three-pointers.  Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) finished with 15 and Westbrook with 14 for S&T.

Long, a transfer from Southern Illinois, went over the 20-point mark for the third straight game to lead the Tritons with his 27 points and McCoy added 19.

The Miners (1-7, 0-2 GLVC) will conclude their three-game homestand Wednesday when they host Drury (4-3, 1-1 GLVC) in a 7:30 p.m. contest.