The MBU men's lacrosse team took on divisional rival, and reigning GRLC Champions, Missouri State Bears in Springfield, Missouri under the lights on Friday. The 25th ranked Spartans upset the 23rd ranked Bears 10-9. The win, along with a Sunday loss by Washington University in St. Louis, secured a Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference Playoff spot for the Spartans.
 

On Friday, emotions ran high, and the intensity was palpable from the first to the last whistle. MBU took an early lead and hung onto it throughout the entire first half. The Spartan defense held the Bears to four goals in the first half, led again by Captain Ben Hughes in the net. Hughes had a career high 20 saves on the day, keeping a very potent MSU offense at bay.

The Second half was a different story, The Bears fired back controlling almost all aspects of the game. It seemed as though MBU would never get the ball back in their offense. At the end of the third quarter, the Spartans held just an 8-7 lead. 

Missouri State started the fourth quarter with a two goal run, taking their first lead of the game at 9-8. The Spartans never gave up the drive to win, putting two more goals away, to take a 10-9 lead with only four minutes left in the game. 

The Spartan defense held off an onslaught of shots from the Bears in the final minutes, including a one-on-one shot saved by Hughes with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

The Spartans followed up the win over Missouri State on Friday with a 19-6 win over the University of Missouri S&T on Saturday.

Missouri Baptist earned their bid to the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference Tournament April 30 - May 2 at O'Fallon Township High School in Illinois.The Spartans' next game is against Washington University in St. Louis Saturday, April 24 at 3:00 p.m. on the Washington University South Campus Field near Clayton Road and Skinker. MBU will need to get a win over the Bears to gain a first round bye in the conference tournament.