ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist shot 53 percent from the floor on Thursday on the way to an 89-72 win at home in conference play against the Mid-Continent Cougars.
Missouri Baptist (4-15, 4-6 AMC) began Thursday night's contest on an 8-2 run and never let its foot off the gas.
From start to finish, Missouri Baptist played solid basketball. After the first 20 minutes of play, the Spartans held a 24-point advantage. The second-half didn't prove to be much more fruitful for the Cougars, though they outscored MBU in the second half 47-40.
Though Missouri Baptist led in rebounds after the first half, the Cougars responded in the second, thanks to the work underneath the boards by Justin Wright. The 6'6" senior finished the game with 12 rebounds and 12 points.
The Spartans were led on the night by Corey McKinney's 23 points, followed by Kalvin Lewis (19 points) and Lau'ren Jones (18 points, 8 rebounds). Overall, the Spartans shot nearly 78 percent from the free-throw line in the game.
With the win, Missouri Baptist improves to 4-6 in American Midwest Conference play. The team is set to complete its three-game homestand on Saturday as Concordia Seminary travels to Missouri Baptist in non-conference action. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex.
