ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Returning to action to open the new year, the Hawks fell 93–60 to the Tritons of Missouri–St. Louis on Thursday night inside the Mark Twain Building. Red-hot shooting from UMSL proved to be the difference, as the Tritons pulled away late in the first half and never looked back.

The opening 12 minutes featured back-and-forth basketball, with neither team able to build a lead greater than four. During that stretch, Quincy shot an efficient 10-for-16 from the field with four triples, while UMSL answered by going 10-for-17 overall and 6-for-8 from beyond the arc to hold a slim 26–25 advantage.

The final eight minutes of the first half belonged to the Tritons, as Quincy cooled off and UMSL continued to shoot at a torrid pace. Missouri–St. Louis closed the half on a 22–9 run, shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 3-for-5 from deep while committing just one turnover, taking a 48–34 lead into the break.

At halftime, Quincy was shooting a solid 48.3 percent from the field, but defensive struggles proved costly as the Tritons connected on 59.4 percent of their shots and knocked down nine first-half threes at a 69.2 percent clip.

UMSL showed no signs of slowing down in the second half. Through the opening eight minutes, the Tritons extended their lead to 21 at 65–44 while shooting 6-for-9 during that stretch.

The remainder of the half saw the lead continue to grow as the shots kept falling for Missouri–St. Louis. The Tritons placed five players in double figures and cruised to the 93–60 final, marking the Hawks' largest loss of the season.

The story of the night was UMSL's offensive efficiency. The Tritons' 93 points marked the most allowed by the Hawks this season in regulation, as they shot 59.3 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from three, knocking down 16 triples, each an opponent season high against Quincy.

The Hawks finished the night shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from deep, connecting on five three-pointers. Missouri–St. Louis also won the rebounding battle 31–25, committed just 10 turnovers compared to 16 by Quincy, and assisted on 26 of its 35 made field goals.

Camren Kincaid led Quincy for the sixth time this season with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Max Booher was the only other Hawk in double figures, scoring 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting.

For the Tritons, Demetris Phillips came off the bench to lead all scorers with 19 points while adding a game-high 11 rebounds. Miles Boland provided a strong counter as well, finishing with 17 points and 13 assists for a double-double.

The Hawks will look to bounce back on Sunday, January 4, as they travel to Lincoln University of Missouri for a 3:00 PM tip following the women's game.