ST. LOUIS- MBU Men's Basketball was back up against Saint Xavier University last night (Dec 19). It was a disappointing loss for the Spartans, as they were shut down in the first half and never able to recover. MBU ultimately fell to SXU 90-71.
 
For the majority of the first half it was a fight for the upper hand. It was a lot of back and forth between the two teams, with the lead changing hands a total of eight times. Despite the Cougars effectively limiting scoring opportunities, the Spartans utilized their depth to contribute points. The likes of Keyyaun Batchman, Nico Hill, and Breven McMullen were still leading the team in the points category but Sterling Benjamin and Mujtaba Alkhaldi stepped up to help keep the team in it.
 
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to push the team on top. When the opposition is shooting over 70% from the field you really need to shut down their opportunities and capitalize on your own, but the Spartans were unable to do so. MBU was able to make the quality shots that they took but they weren't getting enough to stay in it. They ended the first half down 51-44.
 
The second half did not go the way the Spartans wanted it. At the very beginning it looked like they were going to find their way back in it, scoring six points in a row. Connor Redrow put his first points on the board, sinking a layup off of an offensive rebound. Benjamin added to his count when he made both of his free throws after putting the ball back up after a missed three-pointer from a fellow Spartan. Batchman took advantage of a screen from Alkhaldi, making his way around the defense to sink a layup.
 
The comeback attempt was short-lived, and a four-minute scoring drought allowed the opposition to further their lead. By the time Courtland Soll was able to break that scoreless streak with a layup, the Spartans were already down by 17 points. MBU was unable to bridge the gap, ending the game with a 19-point loss. Multiple Spartans tied for the leading scorer title this game, with Batchman, Benjamin, and McMullen all walking away with 13 points while Hill was just shy of that with 12.
 
The Spartans fell shy of that double-digit win streak with the loss to SXU breaking it at nine. MBU will be hoping to bounce back during their Florida road trip when they take on Warner University and Webber International during winter break.