ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Balanced scoring and a strong defensive effort helped the Missouri Baptist Men's Basketball team start off the season with a convincing 81-39 victory over Central Christian College of the Bible.

The Spartan defense clamped down on the Saints, limiting the away team to 26.7 percent shooting from the field overall and a 1-11 clip from 3-point range. MBU (1-0) forced 24 turnovers and never trailed.

A quick 16-2 start set the tone and the Spartans never looked back. Junior newcomer Andrew Howard scored the first bucket of the 2016-17 season off a nice feed from David Gabrovsek. Jake Terry capped the run with a bucket off a steal at the 14:08 mark.

Central Christian closed the gap to 10 points with under four minutes remaining in the half to creep back into things. However, a 15-4 MBU run answered the slight momentum shift and the home team led by 21 at the break. Will Harrington and Chris Buzzell led the way with 10 points each.

13 Spartans took part in the action in the second half and all found the scoring column. Redshirt freshman Jahmouri Robinson scored his first collegiate bucket in the final seconds of the first half and carried that momentum into half number two. The Cardinal Ritter product had 13 second-half points to finish with a game-high 15.

Buzzell scored off a CCCB turnover to start the final half and the Spartans didn't trail by fewer than 23 the rest of the way. MBU limited the Saints to seven field goals on 33 attempts after halftime (21.2 percent).

Buzzell finished with 14 points to open his fourth and final year in the navy and white. Harrington stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points and a team-high five assists and nine rebounds, while Gabrovsek also chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Victor Dean posted a team-high 12 points for CCCB. The Spartans shot 49.3 percent overall in the opener.

The Spartans will travel to Springfield on Saturday to take on DI Missouri State for the team's lone exhibition contest. Opening tip is set for 7:05 pm. They'll return to regular season action on November 12 against Baptist Bible College, also in Springfield, Mo.