ST. LOUIS - Despite trailing for most of the contest the Spartans fought back from a double digit deficit with the help of a 30 point showing from Bryce Dowell to bring the game within just three points in the fourth quarter, but suffered a 96-88 loss.

In the first quarter the College of the Ozarks outpaced MBU 22-17 with the help of a 9-0 run.

The Bobcats gained a bigger lead in the second quarter as they went into halftime on top of the Spartans 44-35.

Dowell went 5-8 from the field in the second frame also bringing down three rebounds.

MoBap trailed by 13 in the second quarter which was their biggest deficit during the contest.

Following the halftime break the Spartans came out firing from beyond the arc as Sophia Horton and Amar Mansour both knocked down a triple in the first three possessions.

Dowell also found some success from three point land as she drained two threes along with two layups to tally her second 10 point quarter of the game.

Deyana Dodd was all over the place defensively throughout the night as she racked up six steals with a few of them helping the Spartans toward the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter.

With three and a half minutes remaining in the contest MBU cut the Bobcats' lead to just three points, but a score-stop-score put them right back up by seven ending the Spartans' push.

The College of the Ozarks pulled away and came away with a 96-88 victory over the Spartans.

Dowell led the team offensively with 30 points followed by Mansour with 19.

Mansour finished a rebound shy of a double-double with nine along with Tyler Butler.

The Spartans outpaced the Bobcats 48-38 on points in the paint.

MBU will look to return to the win column on Saturday, Dec. 9 against the Bobcats in Point Lookout, Mo.