ST. LOUIS – For the first time this season, the Missouri Baptist University women's basketball team swept one of its American Midwest Conference (AMC) opponents with a 63-49 victory over Stephens College.
 
MBU improved to 7-17 overall and got win No. 6 in league play moving to 6-14 in the AMC. Mathematically, the Spartans are not yet out of contention for a spot in the eight-team conference tournament. Currently, Missouri Baptist is 3 and ½ games back of No. 8 seed Park with four games remaining.
 
The opening quarter of Saturday's game was chockfull of lead changes, but it was Missouri Baptist who grabbed the fourth lead change to take a 12-11 advantage into the second quarter.
 
Looking to break away from the Stars (4-20, 2-16 AMC), the Spartans remarkably held the visitors without a field goal for the entire second quarter. The result wasn't as one would expect as MBU outscored Stephens just 17-12 in the 10-minute stretch. Stephens got Missouri Baptist into foul trouble early in the quarter and took advantage of the bonus shots converting on 12 of their 14 free-throw attempts (.857).
 
At halftime, the Spartans led Stephens, 29-23.
 
The Spartans began to create some separation in the third quarter via a 10-2 run to start the second half. Despite maintaining the lead, it was a rough quarter on the stat sheet for the Spartans as the team shot 5-for-21 (.238) and just 2-for-11 from 3-point range. Sophomore guard Caroline Rogers was one of the bright spots for the offensive scoring seven points in the third quarter.
 
Missouri Baptist had a much better quarter shooting to finish the game with a 53.8 percent clip from the field (7-of-13). The defense also buckled down when it mattered most forcing Stephens to shoot 3-of-13 in the fourth quarter. The Spartans increased their lead to as much as 17 and held off any late pushes by the Stars.
 
Forward Kadesha Cooper led the Spartans in scoring for the 11^th time this season with a team-high 14 points. Coming off the bench, the senior from Prattsville, Ark. was 6-of-13 from the field and added six rebounds to her stat line. Joining her in double figures for the second consecutive game was Caroline Rogers. And for the second time in as many tries, Caroline Rogers registered a career-high 12 points. The sophomore guard was 5-of-9 overall and 2-for-5 from long range.
 
Other stat leaders for Missouri Baptist included Alexia Duncan with a team-high eight rebounds, Izzy Farrell and Alissa Rowden with three assists apiece, and Farrell again with three steals.
 
The Spartans head to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas and Henderson, Tennessee this next week to take on Williams Baptist University on Thursday and No. 1-ranked Freed-Hardeman University on Saturday.