SAINT LOUIS – Missouri Baptist Women's Basketball was unable to keep up. William Woods (Mo.) shot 49 percent and recorded an impressive 50 rebounds in a 72-53 Spartan loss on Thursday.
 
Missouri Baptist (9-9, 7-7 AMC) kept pace with William Woods for the first quarter but a scoring slump in the second put the team in a deep hole heading into halftime.
 
Down by just three, Missouri Baptist had an opportunity to stay with the No. 5 team in the American Midwest Conference, but a 9-2 run to start the second frame set the stage for a 32-23 lead by the Owls heading into halftime.
 
Rebounds became the Achilles Heel for the Spartans as it was the good work underneath the hoop for the Owls that put the home team behind for good. William Woods outscored Missouri Baptist 34-22 in the paint and 13-4 on second chance opportunities.
 
A big third quarter for the Owls sealed the fate for the Spartans on Thursday. A 9-2 run by William Woods in the first three minutes after halftime proved to be too much as the visiting squad opened-up a 58-36 lead heading into the fourth.
 
In the game, Missouri Baptist was held to 26 percent from the floor, their lowest shooting percentage on the season. Alissa Rowden led the team with 10 points and three steals in 33 minutes on the court.
 
The Spartans will have a chance to get back over .500 with a critical game against Harris-Stowe (Mo.) on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Carl and Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex.