BATESVILLE, Ark. – Despite a quick start out of the gate, Missouri Baptist University women's basketball (0-5, 0-2 AMC) was unable to upset No. 20-ranked Lyon College on the road Saturday afternoon. The Spartans dropped their second straight American Midwest Conference contest in a 77-52 loss to the Scots.
 
With seven lead changes in the opening quarter, it appeared to be anyone's ballgame in the earlygoing. Thanks to a blazing 69 percent shooting, MBU had the slight 20-18 advantage at the end of one.
 
It continued to be a battle with Lyon seizing the momentum out of the quarter break. Held scoreless for the first three minutes of the quarter, MBU couldn't break away from the 20^th-ranked Scots. Nonetheless, the Spartans still led by three (30-27) with 3:30 remaining in the half. A late 7-0 run helped propel Lyon to an eight-point lead heading into halftime.
 
While Lyon (4-1, 2-0 AMC) didn't shoot lights out, the NAIA's No. 20-ranked team disrupted the Spartans enough in third quarter to take complete control of the game. After shooting 69 percent in the first quarter and 51.8 after two, MBU was held at bay the rest of the afternoon. The Spartans were 3-of-13 (.230) in the third quarter and 3-of-11 (.272) in the fourth.
 
Two of the biggest areas that Lyon capitalized on in its win were rebounding (41-30) and free-throw shooting. MBU shot 53.8 percent (7-of-13), while the Scots went 24-of-28, converting on 85.7 percent of their free throws.
 
The Spartans had five players who finished with at least 8 points. Junior Kimberley Shaw, a transfer from Three Rivers College, led the team in scoring with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting and 2-of-2 from 3-point range. Shaw has now logged two straight games without missing a field goal. Like Shaw, senior Megan Fassino also was perfect from the field on Saturday with 6 points on 3-of-3 shooting.
 
Guards Taylor Norris, Tionne Taylor and Rose Wassef, along with center Alexis Allstun all finished with 8 points apiece.
 
The Spartans will take a brief break from its AMC schedule to play a pair of exhibition contests next week. MBU heads to NCAA DI Western Illinois University on Tuesday (Nov. 26) and NCAA DII Kentucky Wesleyan University on Saturday (Nov. 30) after Thanksgiving.