St. Louis, Missouri – After suffering a disappointing defeat at the hands of Mount Mercy last week, the Missouri Baptist Women's Basketball team was dismantled in a 76-60 loss to Blue Mountain College in the final game of the season before the Christmas break.
 
The loss was the seventh this season and was the third when playing at home in the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC for MBU. The game was mostly even in many aspects across the box score, but the key and deciding difference the numbers showed was the Toppers efficiency from the field, and the Spartans lack thereof. Blue Mountain connected on just over 40 percent overall (25-for-62) and exactly 40 percent (8-for-20) from three-point land. The home side's shooting was a different story, with only 18 of 61 shots finding the bottom of the net, good for 29.5 percent.
  
The game started on the wrong foot for the Spartans. An administrative technical foul was given, allowing the Toppers two points before the ball had even been put in play. Blue Mountain then led wire-to-wire, the full 40 minutes thanks to those freebies, and put the game away by halftime. MBU never got closer than within 12 points after halftime.
 
Senior Tionne Taylor was an isolated bright spot for MoBap, leading all scorers with 24 points. She was followed closely by Toppers forward Olivia Chadwell and freshman Carmen Taylor with 23 and 22, respectively. Fellow freshman and twin sister Charmen Taylor chipped in another 14 for the visitors, as Chadwell and the Taylor's managed seven of the eight three-point baskets for the Toppers.
 
In her second start of the year, forward Kayleigh Winch had all nine of her points in the first half to keep the paltry offense afloat. Winch also registered five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Graduate senior Rose Wassef had a noteworthy 10 points as well as six rebounds and three assists, respectively.
 
Missouri Baptist now goes into the holiday break with its work cut out for it. The Spartans have two huge conference games on the horizon against the two schools picked to finish first and second in the AMC in the preseason. Both tilts are on the road and both against opponents currently receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll. MoBap will travel first to Lyon College and face the Scots on Thursday, Jan. 6th at 5:30 PM in Batesville, Ark. The Spartans will then travel to Columbia, Missouri, for a matchup with rival Columbia just two days later on Saturday, Jan. 8th at 1:00 PM.