JOLIET, Ill. – Missouri Baptist Men's Basketball (4-3) dropped an 82-75 contest to the University of St. Francis (Ill.) (3-1) on Wednesday night. The Spartans mounted a serious second half comeback before eventually running out of steam in the final minutes.
 
In their first game action in 25 days, MBU traded baskets with the Fighting Saints for the first 10 minutes. Late in the first half, however, the Spartans hit a cold stretch of just two points in five minutes. St. Francis pulled away and took a nine-point lead (36-27) into halftime.
 
The home side led by as many as 15 with just under seven minutes to go before the MBU comeback effort kicked into high gear. Daishaun Woods hit the Spartans' first three-pointer of the night with 4:53 left in the second half. That sparked an 11-1 run to the Saints advantage to a one-possession game (71-68).
 
The difference down the stretch would be free-throws. St. Francis converted on 9-10 trips to the line in the final two minutes. They made 17 of 19 for the game while the Spartans knocked down just 14 of 25.
 
The MBU offense ran through senior John Yaeger. Yaeger finished with a career-high 32 points. The former Lutheran South product pulled down 15 rebounds to complete his second double-double of the season.
 
In addition to their advantage at the free-throw line, St. Francis also had the edge from beyond the arc. The Saints finished a modest 7-17 from three-point range while the MBU went just 1-8 from deep.
 
The Spartans will try to bounce back next Monday against St. Ambrose. Tip time in Davenport, Iowa is scheduled for 5 pm.