ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist women's basketball fell behind to Missouri Valley College early but recovered with a second-half comeback and an overtime point explosion to win 73-57 on Saturday night.
Missouri Baptist (3-8) came out of the gate sluggish in the first half but took care of the ball and hit key shots down the stretch in the win. Though the team hit just under 28 percent in the first half, MBU managed to recover in the second and overtime. The team shot nearly 39 percent from the floor combined after the first half to secure the win.
As the Spartans struggled to take advantage of chances under the net, the Vikings shooting was consistently good. The team shot 40 percent from the field, led by Gabi Morales and Lindsi Jackson, who both recorded 11 points in the half.
Missouri Valley led 33-26 and, as the second half began, MBU seemed poised to get back into the game. The Spartans quickly tied the game at 33 on a jumper by Mandy Kirby at the 16:23 mark of the second half.
Though the Vikings built a 46-40 lead late, but the Spartans rallied. Lauren Taylor recorded a career-high 27 points and put MBU back in the game. Missouri Baptist took a late 53-52 lead but Missouri Valley tied the game at 53 thanks to a free throw by Morales.
Missouri Valley was charged with an offensive foul, with just 12 seconds left on an inbound play giving MBU one final chance to win the game. Lauren Taylor put-up a shot for three at the top of the key in the final second, which came up short, sending the game to overtime.
As the final period commenced, Missouri Baptist looked like a completely different team. The Spartans, who over the course of the season seemed to play not to lose at the end of games, was aggressive and focused in the final five minutes. MBU went 5-5 at the beginning of the period with a 14-2 run to take a 67-55 lead with 2:20 remaining. This lead proved to be insurmountable for the Vikings as MBU broke its five-game losing streak with a 20-point overtime performance.
The Spartans improved to 3-8 on the year as the team will enjoy a 14-day break before returning to action on the road on Dec. 29 against Southwest Baptist College.
