KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Truman State University men's basketball team led visiting Missouri-St. Louis by one point, 83-82, with just 42 seconds left to play in the GLVC opener on Saturday inside Pershing Arena. However, in those final moments, the Tritons went 6-of-6 from the free throw line, the Bulldogs were stuck at 83 and the visitors won by five, 88-83.

Truman (3-4, 0-1 GLVC) has lost four games in a row for the first time since February of 2013 while Missouri-St. Louis (4-3, 1-1 GLVC) has won two of its last three. Prior to their most-recent meeting, the Bulldogs had taken three straight over the Tritons. The last time the Purple and White were below .500 seven games into the season was also during the 2012-13 campaign on Dec. 8, 2012 at 3-4.

Saturday, making his first-career start for Truman, Brodric Thomas (pictured) stuffed the stat sheet with a game high 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 39 minutes of action. Thomas made seven of his 14 field goal looks and was 4-for-7 from behind the arc with seven free throw makes in nine attempts. The redshirt-sophomore transfer had scored 24 of his 25 points before another Bulldog reached double-figures. Jake Velky and Zach Fischer also had 10+ with 17 and 15, respectively. Velky was the squad's leader in assists with six (no turnovers) and Nathan Messer added five dimes.

Out of the gate, UMSL scored 10 of the first 13 points and led Truman by eight, 16-8, with just under five minutes gone by. The Bulldogs proceeded to rattle off seven points in a row and had cut the deficit to one, 16-15. Despite the quick rally, the Tritons stood strong and took their biggest lead of the day at 11, 41-30, with just over four minutes until the intermission (25-15 spurt). The home team then came back even stronger with 14-straight points and led for the first time (44-41) since it was up 3-2 in the early going. The visitors scored four in a row heading into the locker room and had a one-point advantage, 45-44, at the break.

After halftime, the play was much more back and forth as it saw seven ties in the first eight minutes and change. At the 10:41 mark, UMSL looked like it was creating some separation as it led by five, 71-66, thanks to a 7-0 run. Truman eventually tied the thing back up, though, at 77-77 with 4:29 to play, but five-straight Triton points made the deficit five once more, 82-77. The Bulldogs had another answer, scored six straight, and controlled the lead for a final time at 83-82 before the away team's multiple trips to the charity stripe.

Next up, Truman travels to McKendree on Thursday with tip set for 7:30 p.m. from Lebanon, Ill.

#BewareOfDog