ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Missouri Baptist University Spartans continue to shoot lights out this season, especially at home. Saturday, in front of the home crowd at the Petty SRC, the Spartans might have turned in their best performance yet. Behind a season-high 23 points from
Tyrell Andrews, MBU took care of business at home…again…by downing the Lyon Scots 88-73.
On three other occasions on the young season the Spartans have shot the ball at a better than 50% clip from the field. But Saturday afternoon they shot 55.6% against Lyon and scored the most points they have all season in a game settled in regulation.
The Spartans came out cold early, managing only two points through the first three and a half minutes of the game. The slow start allowed Lyon to build their largest lead of the day at 6-2. MBU responded quickly though with a three-pointer from
Nico Hill and a layup by Andrews. Following a couple of successful free throws for Delvonte McCloud of Lyon, the Scots briefly regained the lead but another three-pointer, this one by Andrews, put the home team in front 10-8 at the 14:37 mark of the first half. That was the last time the lead would change hands.
The Spartans lead swelled to as many as 14 in the first half, but MBU had to settle for an eight-point cushion going into the half-time locker room.
The Scots got as close as three about five minutes into the second half and trailed only by five on three occasions, but in the end hot shooting in the second half, to the tune of 61%, allowed the Spartans to draw away in the last 10 minutes. The lead grew to as many as 20 in the final minute before Scots marksman Trenton Bell nailed back-to-back three pointers to get Lyon back within 14. The Spartans hit their free throws down the stretch and won the game by 15.
Andrews was not the only Spartan to set a new season-high in scoring. Senior
Daishaun Woods continued his consistent and spirited play of late by scoring 10 and grabbing four rebounds in 15 minutes of play. Woods also got the start for the third game in a row. Senior
Jadis White had seven points and six assists. White leads the team with an impressive 49 assists in eight games. Junior center
Mujtaba Alkhaldi had eight points, three rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes. Alkhadi returned to the team earlier this week and is working into the flow on both ends of the court. Leading scorer on the season,
Brendon Hardy, finished with 15 points and
Nico Hill chipped in with 11. As a team the Spartans were an impressive 13 of 14 from the foul line.
Trenton Bell led the way for Lyon with 21 points, most of them coming from five of nine shooting from three-point distance. Bell also had seven assists.
MBU is now 5-3 on the season and 2-0 in the American Midwest Conference as they look to defend the title they won a year ago.
The Spartans are 24-2 at home in the Petty SRC in the last two-plus seasons. They have also now won five of six since dropping the first two games of the season. The team of a handful of returners and whole bunch of newcomers seems be starting to gel.
The weather gets nicer but the schedule much meaner for the Spartans after this game. They will head to Panama City, Fla. on Sunday to prepare for the Battle at the Beach. On consecutive days beginning Monday, MBU will play: No. 21-ranked Florida College, the defending national champions from Loyola University (La.), and the No. 9-ranked Faulkner University Eagles. Those three formidable opponents are a combined 17-1 on the season. The Spartans won't enjoy home-cookin' again until they host College of the Ozarks on December 10.
