ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] It looked good early, but when it comes to American Midwest Conference (AMC) Basketball, when you take your foot off the gas, even for a moment, momentum usually shifts in the opposite direction. That was the story in Parkville, Mo., on Thursday evening. Missouri Baptist led by four after the opening 10 minutes and kept it close for 35, but could not keep pace in the final five as Park (Mo.) defeated MBU 65-56.
Missouri Baptist (8-13, 7-11 AMC) did not find a shooting rhythm in the first half on Thursday evening, but played evenly to the Pirates regardless. MBU shot just 32 percent in the opening 20 minutes, but came 33 seconds away from entering the half with the lead.
Jerica Hawkins did it all for Missouri Baptist on Thursday, especially in the second half. The senior posted 10 points and 13 rebounds, collecting her team-leading fifth double-double on the year. She also finished with two blocks on the night.
The Spartans came out hot in the third quarter, led by the hot hand of Taylor Klingelhoefer. The O'Fallon, Ill., native posted seven of her team-leading 13 points in the quarter, including her lone three-ball of the night. The two squads, however, combined for 42 third quarter points and entered the final 10 minutes with a one-point game.
The Pirates began the final quarter on a 6-2 run, but MBU answered the bell. With just 5:34 remaining, the Spartans cut the lead to two, but this was as close as the team from St. Louis came to taking the lead.
Park gained the momentum back for the final five minutes and rattled-off a 9-2 run, led by two triples from Sydney Heard. The junior from Long Beach, Calif., posted 15 points and hit six of 12 from the floor.
Latice Butler, however, was the one that made the offence hum for the Pirates. The senior from Riverside, Calif., posted a game-high 21 points.
Morgan Settle had another nice game for Missouri Baptist on Thursday. MBU's senior post player recorded 11 points and two steals. After hitting double digits once in the first 15 games of the season, she has now notched double figures in four of her last five.
The Spartans improved their shooting percentage drastically after halftime. Missouri Baptist shot just a shade under 45 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes, an improvement of over 10 percent from the first half.
With the loss, MBU has dropped to ninth in the AMC standings and currently sits one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot behind Park and Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.)
The Spartans will have another tough road test on Saturday, as the team will travel to Columbia, Mo., to take on the NAIA No. 5-ranked Columbia (Mo.) Cougars. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
