MARSHALL, Mo. –  As the saying goes, the Missouri Baptist Spartans couldn't buy a basket Monday night against Missouri Valley College. The Vikings were victorious 65-51 inside Burns Athletic Center in Marshall, Mo.
 
MBU shot the ball 32% from the field on the night, and a woeful 24% in the second half. Coupling that with the fact they connected on only four of 23 attempts from behind the arc (17%)  and were seven of 14 (50%) from the free throw line, it was an offensive output they would just assume wipe from their memory. The Spartans also turned the ball over 17 times in the game and were outrebounded 49-39. The 51 points scored are the second worst output in the four-year tenure of head coach Preston Ingram, eclipsed only by a 71-49 loss to Lyon on November 23, 2019. 
 
Despite the result, the Spartans, and in particular senior Tyrell Andrews, started the game well. Andrews had eight points in the first eight minutes and when he scored a fast break bucket with 11:43 left in the first half, the Spartans led 13-12. MBU enjoyed a lead as large as four in the half and had the lead until Vikings guard Jace Lance tied the game with four and half minutes remaining. MVC would take the lead and extend it to four points at halftime, leading 35-31. Andrews finished with 10 points in the first half.
 
The start of the second half was actually tough sledding for both teams. After freshman Nick Wasilewski made a free throw to cut the Vikings lead to 38-34 at the 17:46 mark, neither team would score for three and a half minutes. It was a stretch that included both teams trading turnovers on five consecutive possessions. Vikings forward Jarius Burnett would break the string with a three-pointer with 14:28 remaining to put MVC back up by seven. Thirty seconds later Bryce Johnson would get the Spartans back on the board to momentarily break the dry spell. During that four-minute stretch, the Spartans committed two turnovers and were 0 for seven from the field. But the shooting woes would continue for the Spartans.
 
Johnson made another basket in the paint with 10:51 remaining which would get MBU back within two points at 44-42. They wouldn't score again until there was 3:39 on the clock, a span of seven minutes and 12 seconds. In that time the Vikings lead had grown to 19.  The Spartans were able to get only slightly closer in losing by 15. MBU managed only 11 points through the first 14 minutes of the second half and finished with a total of 20 points after halftime.
 
The Spartans were led in scoring by Johnson, who finished with 15 points, four rebounds, a block, and a steal.  Andrews was the only other Spartan in double-figures with 10 points, as he was held scoreless in the second half. Leading scorer on the season, senior Brendon Hardy, had a tough shooting night, finishing with five points. Making his first start of the season, Wasilewski finished with three points, five rebounds, and a block.
 
The Vikings were led by TJ Wallace with 13 points and got 11 points from Oliver Pauleon-Gerar. Jonathan Hall, the Vikings 7-foot senior center from Wales, had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds on the night.

Tonight marked the final non-conference game of the regular season for the Spartans. Their remaining 11 games will be against American Midwest Conference opponents, beginning with hosting the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy on Saturday at the Petty SRC. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.