ST. LOUIS—[BOX SCORE] (RV) Missouri Baptist Men's Basketball defeated Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 83-73 on Thursday to earn a sweep of the season series. It was the Spartans' first win in Henderson, Tenn. in 12 years.
After a dominant 31-point victory in the first meeting back in early January, the Spartans knew the road win would be much more difficult to come by. Freed-Hardeman led for most of the first half, including by as many as eight with just over six minutes to go.
It was at that point, however, that the Spartans started to heat up from deep. Starting with a make from Fitzgerald Hopkins at 6:17, MBU went 5-6 from behind the arc in the closing stretch of the first half. The run turned a five-point deficit into a one-point lead going into the locker room.
Freed-Hardeman would retake the lead early in the second half but it was short lived. The Spartan defense forced 11 second turnovers while also holding the Lions to just 32% from the field (11-32).
At the other end, MBU kept the lead out of reach with high percentage shots and near-perfect free-throw shooting. The Spartans made five straight buckets and 7-10 overall in a key stretch in the middle of the second half. They would lead by as many as 12 late before settling on a 10-point victory.
Fitzgerald Hopkins once again took his game to another level against his former team. The senior notched a team-high 23 points and dished out six assists. Three other Spartans also reached double figures. Jahmouri Robinson had 14 points while Pablo Hernandez contributed 13 and Andrew Howard chipped in 11.
As a team, the Spartans made 13-23 from three-point range, tying a season-high in threes made (December 16 vs. CBC, 13-25).
With three games left in the regular season, Missouri Baptist (21-6, 13-6 AMC) is in a fight for third place in the AMC with Harris-Stowe. The Hornets lost to Park on Thursday night meaning the Spartans are just a half-game back in the standings.
The Spartans' next action is Saturday afternoon at Williams Baptist. Tipoff in Walnut Ridge, Ark. is scheduled for 3 pm.
