North STL News

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) men's basketball team will begin its 2025-26 season at the Division Two Conference Commissioner Association Tip Off Classic, held at the St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Tritons are scheduled to play Northwest Missouri on Saturday evening at 7 p.m., followed by a game against Missouri Western on Sunday at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the event are general admission and priced per day: $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages six through high school, college students, and senior citizens. Children five years old and under can attend free of charge. Tickets are available online or can be purchased at the venue with cash or credit card.

Fans unable to attend in person can watch the games via the MIAA Network for $15 per day, which provides access to all four games scheduled each day.

Last season, UMSL finished with a record of 21-12 overall and 15-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The team reached the championship game of the GLVC Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.

Three players from last year's roster return this season: Quenton Parker, Taye Moore, and Israel Akeye. Of these, only Parker saw playing time last year, appearing in 23 games with averages of 4 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest.

Head coach Bob Sundvold is entering his 13th season leading UMSL. Last year he became the program's all-time leader in wins after defeating Ferris State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Sundvold has won 61.2 percent of his games at UMSL—the second-best winning percentage in program history.

Northwest Missouri comes into this season following a challenging year with a record of 6-22 overall and 4-15 within their conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). The Bearcats have four returning players but lost most of their scoring from last year’s squad; they added seven transfers from Division I or II programs during the offseason. Northwest Missouri opens its own season on Friday against Minnesota State.

Missouri Western ended last season with an 18-13 record (9-10 MIAA) and has undergone significant changes ahead of this campaign. Brooks McKowen takes over as head coach after previously leading Upper Iowa’s program. The Griffons graduated nine players from last year’s roster; only Devin Butler returns after transferring from Virginia Military Institute last year—he played in 31 games with one start, averaging 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Missouri Western starts its season Friday against West Texas A&M.