ROLLA, Mo. – After dropping a hard-fought affair to open 2022, the Missouri S&T women's basketball team will look to rebound Saturday afternoon at the Mark Twain Building for their second GLVC matchup of the new year against Missouri-St. Louis.
 
The Miners (4-6, 1-3) were edged out in the closing moments Sunday against Rockhurst 77-73 in a high-offense back-and-forth contest that saw Alex Kerr (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) post her first 20-point outing of the season, leading the Miners with 23 points on 7-9 shooting and going 9-10 from the stripe. Kerr is now averaging 11.6 PPG and is pulling down 5.0 RPG with six blocks in five games this season. Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) dropped 16 on the Hawks this season for her eight double-digit game of the season and will enter Saturday averaging 13.9 PPG and 21 assists, tied for the most on the club. Eryn Puett (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge) is averaging 8.1 PPG off the bench and shooting .469 from the floor this season, while Katelynne Roberts (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) checks in with 7.9 PPG and a team-best 6.0 RPG and continues to lead the league with 25 blocked shots. Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) is averaging 7.8 PPG and is tied with Rodriguez with 21 assists on the season, while Marta Durk (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) tied a season high with 10 points Sunday and ranks among the league leaders in steals with 19.
 
The Tritons (7-1, 3-0) have yet to see action in 2022 and last played December 18 at Principia in a game in which they won 88-29. Alex LaPorta leads UMSL in scoring this year with 15.1 PPG and is one of three players averaging double-figures this season, joined by Kiara Stewart (13.8 PPG) and Mallory Ronshausen (10.8 PPG). LaPorta is also the team's leading rebounder with 7.3 RPG while Stewart checks in at 6.6, just ahead of Danielle Berry (6.5 RPG). LaPorta's 26 assists leads the team while Berry and her 16 steals are the high-water mark in that category. As a team, UMSL is shooting .423 from the floor but just .280 from three and .688 from the free throw line.
 
All-time, the Miners lead the series 39-26 but are looking to snap a three-game losing streak in the series. UMSL won the lone meeting last season 77-54 in St. Louis, a place S&T hasn't won since December 2015 in a 53-41 contest. The Miners' last win in the series overall was in February 2019 in Rolla, by a score of 60-49.