ST. LOUIS—[BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist Women's Basketball fell short in an upset attempt of No. 2 Freed-Hardeman on Thursday night.

The Spartans had their hands full against the NAIA's No. 1 Scoring Defense. Freed-Hardeman did everything right in the first half, holding MBU to just 13 points. The home side led by 18 at the break.

Missouri Baptist righted the ship in the second half, scoring 21 points in the third quarter alone. The Lions matched those numbers step for step, however, denying the Spartans any momentum or opportunity for a comeback.

The second ranked Lions kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter on the way to a 71-47 final. The Spartans showed marked improvement from the field after the break, shooting 11-29 (38%). They were also a perfect 11-11 from the free-throw line on the night.

Amanda Rowden led the way with nine points. Chanel Brown, Shay Robinson, and Briya Wilborn each had eight, respectively. Brown also pulled down seven rebounds.

The Spartans (12-13, 10-11 AMC) are back in action on Saturday against Williams Baptist. Tip in Walnut Ridge is scheduled for 1 pm.