CONWAY, Ark. – Brendon Hardy's Missouri Baptist basketball career has now come full circle. The last time the Spartans won in Conway, Ark. he was a little-used freshman, playing one minute and scoring zero points. Fast forward to tonight. The senior from Farmington, Mo. is a leader on this team and came up huge when they needed him most. Hardy sank a mid-range, contested jumper with 1.1 seconds left on the clock to snatch a 60-59 win away from the Central Baptist College Mustangs on Thursday night. It is the first time since December 8, 2018, Hardy's freshman season, the Spartans have won inside A.R. Reddin Fieldhouse. That's a span of five games without a victory…until tonight.
Additionally, it breaks a three-game losing streak that began last week with top-level competition in Florida. The victory also keeps the Spartans perfect in the American Midwest Conference at 3-0 and gets them back to 6-6 on the season.
This game was tight throughout, with the largest lead of the game belonging to CBC at eight early in the second half. Neither team was ever able to get comfortable with a lead. In the first 20 minutes, MBU's largest cushion was four and CBC's largest advantage was five. The Mustangs had to settle for a one-point lead at 28-27 at halftime.
Cold shooting was the culprit for MBU in the first half as they made only 37.5% of their shots in the first half. The second half was a different story…after the first three minutes.
The Mustangs scored nine of the first 11 points in half number two, and they extended the lead to eight. From that point forward though, the shots began to fall for the Spartans. They would finish the second half shooting 15 of 27 for 56%. Neither team was effective from three-point distance in either half with MBU going three of 15, which was slightly better than the three of 17 effort from CBC.
The Spartans gained their first lead of the second half on a three-pointer by Hardy with 11 minutes remaining. The lead would change hands 10 times over the remainder of the game. That includes a stretch where the Mustangs and the Spartans traded baskets…and the lead…on four consecutive possessions beginning with six minutes remaining. The Mustangs' Jalen Adams scored a bucket with 2:44 left to give CBC a 59-58 lead. As tense as the closing moments were, what followed were a few missed shots and a few trades of turnovers, which set up MBU's late game heroics.
With five seconds remaining, the Spartans
Jadis White inbounded the ball in front of his own bench in the frontcourt. Hardy ran off a screen on the low, left block and fanned to the top of the key to receive the pass. He dribbled to near the right baseline and with the hands of two defenders closing in on him was able to rise up and splash down the game winner, just as it appeared that the final horn sounded.
The officiating crew put 1.1 seconds back on the clock. CBC was able to take a time out then heave the ball down the court, but the reception was fumbled, and the Spartans had prevailed.
On a night when his development and growth to a leadership role was on full display, it was only fitting that Hardy led the Spartans in scoring with 17 points. Fellow senior
Tyrell Andrews scored 13 of his own as the only two Spartans in double-figures on this uncharacteristically low-scoring evening for this team. The Spartans came in averaging 73 points per game. The 60 points scored matches their previous low-water mark on the season which came in their AMC Conference opener on 11/17/22 against William Woods University. Somewhat ironically, they have won both of those games.
The victory also tilts the all-time record in favor of MBU, 10 to nine. Until tonight, both teams were 2-7 on the opponent's court.
The Spartans will remain in Arkansas for a couple more days as they prepare to make the journey to Walnut Ridge to take on Williams Baptist University on Saturday. The Eagles are 1-1 in AMC play so far on the year, and 4-1 overall. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
