ST. LOUIS – For the third year in a row, the Missouri Baptist University men's basketball team has opened the season with a 2-0 start. The second win of the season was never in doubt for the Spartans on Thursday as they were all business in a lopsided 107-43 victory over Crowley's Ridge College.
 
The Spartans, which received votes in the recent NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll, controlled the game from the get-go. On an evening in which the Spartans drained 17 3-pointers, few would have guessed that the game's first 3-point field goal made would not come until the 10:45 mark in the first half.
 
MBU's starting five established a strong presence inside to begin the game with the first 12 points coming from in the paint. The Spartans continued to flex their muscles establishing a 20-point advantage just 10 minutes into the contest and extending the lead all the way to 37 by halftime.
 
Six players reached double figures led by freshman guard Brendon Hardy, who scored all 18 of his points in the second half. The freshman from Farmington, Mo. was feeling it behind the arc hitting on four of his first five attempts. He even threw in a non-traditional 3-point play for good measures.
 
Hardy wasn't the only one getting in on the 3-point party in the second half. Jesus Castillo and Kai Woodfall drained two apiece coming out of the locker room and helped MBU to a 50-percent clip (12-for-24) in the second half.
 
Joining Hardy in double-digit scoring was senior standout Pablo Hernandez and junior guard Jahmouri Robinson with 12 apiece, sophomore Jesus Castillo with 11, and juniors James McKelvin and Hasaan DeCarolis with 10 apiece. Starters Callum Barker and Kai Woodfall were each a point shy of hitting double figures as well.
 
As a team, MBU shot 55.7 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from 3-point range, while holding Crowley's Ridge to 23 percent shooting and a miniscule 8.7 percent from beyond the arc. The 17 3-point field goals was the most by an MBU squad since 2003-04 when the Spartans recorded 19 against East West College. Another impressive stat for the Spartans was a 32-3 advantage in assists. Jahmouri Robinson nearly had a double-double in points and assists dishing out a game-high eight assists with just one turnover. John Yaeger also had an impressive assist/turnover ratio (6:1).
 
(RV) Missouri Baptist has a quick turnaround as it travels to Springfield, Mo. on Saturday at 2 p.m. for a non-conference matchup at Evangel University (1-2). On Monday, the Spartans will road trip to Jonesboro, Ark., for an exhibition at NCAA DI Arkansas State University.