ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Missouri Baptist men's basketball was down by as many as 28 points in the second half, but nearly pulled-off the comeback in a span of nine minutes. The team worked all the way back into the game but fell eight short, dropping its second game of the season to Mid-Continent University 85-93.

Missouri Baptist (3-5) was down by nine heading into the half and after the break it didn't get much better. The Spartans continued to slide thanks to defensive lapses and 23 combined turnovers, allowing MCU to build a 28-point lead with 9:28 to go in the game, but the team made a miraculous run at the end. Missouri Baptist shot a remarkable 74% in the second half, and nearly came all the way back.

Mid-Continent (7-4), however, did not fold. Led by the 25 points of Charles Peden, the Cougars hung on and hit key shots down the stretch in the win. MCU built a 12-point lead in the first 10 minutes of the game and shot over 50% in the half to protect the lead.

Ultimately, Missouri Baptist outshot Mid-Continent 62% to 57%. The Spartans were also lights-out at the free throw line, shooting 90% from the foul stripe. Though MBU was there offensively all night, the defense was the ultimate cause of the loss.

For Mid-Continent, four players finished the night in double digits. In addition to Peden, Antonio Davis finished with 19 points and six assists. 

Leading Missouri Baptist in the game was the dual threat of junior Kalvin Lewis and senior LeAndre Johnson. The duo posted 17 points each and Lewis led the team with two steals and 40% shooting from three-point range. 

With the loss, MBU drops to 3-5 and will be looking for a big win on home court on Tuesday night when College of the Ozarks travels to MBU. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex.