ST. LOUIS—Missouri Baptist Men's Basketball (11-6, 7-4 AMC) saw its five-game winning streak ended at the hands of Hannibal-LaGrange on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans fell behind early and, despite a furious second half comeback, ultimately fell short by a score of 57-55.
 
It was nothing short of a disastrous start for MBU as Hannibal had a 29-7 lead after 15 minutes. The Spartans shot just 29% (8-27) from the field in the first half but defense kept them in the game. After racing out to the 22-point lead, the Trojans scored just two points in final five minutes of the opening period. It was 31-18 HLG at the break.
 
Hannibal pushed the lead back up to 21 in the second half before MBU finally made a run. A bucket by James McKelvin trimmed the deficit down to single digits with three minutes left.
 
From there it was an 11-3 run that gave the Spartans a chance to tie or win on the final possession. But a shot at the buzzer caught the front iron and Hannibal held on for a two-point upset.
 
The Spartans turned the offense around in the second half to shoot 51% from the field. James McKelvin finished the day with 17 points and six rebounds, both team-highs.
 
Missouri Baptist will return home next Thursday to meet No. 21 Central Baptist College (11-4, 8-2 AMC). The Mustangs currently sit at the top of the American Midwest Conference. Tip time at the Petty SRC is set for 7:30 pm.