ST. LOUIS – It was a game of ebb and flow Saturday afternoon between No. 10-ranked Lyon College and a Missouri Baptist women's basketball squad searching for their first three-game winning streak of the season and hungry for an upset. Unfortunately, the Scots built up enough of a cushion in the middle of their 79-65 win to fend off a fourth-quarter MBU comeback.
 
The Spartans dropped to 6-12 overall and 6-8 AMC, while the Scots improved to 17-2, 13-1 AMC.
 
Eerily similar to the first half of the November matchup in Batesville, Ark., the Spartans went toe-to-toe with the Top-10 ranked team on Saturday and led at the end of one, 21-18. Upperclassmen Rose Wassef knocked down a pair of threes at the end of the first and beginning of the second to give MBU a six-point advantage (24-18).
 
But with the ebb came the flow. With the Spartans leading by as much as seven, Lyon turned to its senior leaders – Madison Riley and Liz Henderson. Through nine lead changes, No. 10 Lyon knotted the game at 28-all and recaptured the lead for good at 31-28.
 
Things began to unravel and in a big way. After shooting close to 50 percent in the opening quarter, MBU suffered a major drought, while Lyon's shots were falling.
 
In the second and third quarters combined, Lyon went 15-of-28 (.535) from the field and a red-hot 7-for-11 from 3-point range to outscore the Spartans, 42-17. Meanwhile, the Spartans' first-quarter success faded going 6-for-25 in that 20-minute stretch.
 
Down by as much as 24, Missouri Baptist still had some gas left in the tank. The Spartans valiantly surged and chopped Lyon's lead by more than half, but were unable to get the deficit below 10.
 
The Spartans had three players score in double figures including Rose Wassef and Kaylynn Hayden, who both had 15, and Taylor Norris with 14. Junior Rose Wassef had the hot-hand from long range going 4-for-5 (.800) and hitting four of MBU's five threes for the game. Hayden finished with the team lead in rebounds (7), while Norris had a team-high 4 assists and 3 steals.
 
Missouri Baptist was unable to slow down the Lyon tandem of Madison Riley and Liz Henderson. Riley led the Scots with a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Liz Henderson contributed 21 points and 8 rebounds to the fold.
 
With a home-heavy schedule in January, the Spartans will now be on the road for five of their next six contests. Up next for the MBU women is a trip to Park University on Thursday, Jan. 30 followed by Stephens College on Saturday, Feb. 1.