ST. LOUIS – Behind 25 points from Brendon Hardy and a double-double from Tyrell Andrews, the Missouri Baptist University Spartans turned away a determined University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy squad on Saturday with an 82-70 victory on the road.
 
The Eutectics entered the game with a 7-18 record and holding down the seventh spot in the American Midwest Conference standings. But UHSP started the game shooting the ball well from the field and putting the Spartans back on their heels. The Eutectics held a 14-3 lead just over four minutes in. UHSP shot 50% (17 of 34) in the first half including five of 14 (36%) from behind the arc. After the initial surge, the Spartans were able to settle in and inch their way back to take a 19-18 lead on a three-pointer by Bryce Johnson. UHSP would regain the lead quickly but the Spartans would keep in close and trail 44-42 at halftime.
 
The teams would trade baskets in the first two minutes of the second half before the Spartans would grab the momentum, and the game, for good by going on an 11-0 run over the next 5:07.  With 13 minutes on the clock, the Spartans had a comfortable nine-point lead. MBU was able to hold the Eutectics at bay the rest of the way with the lead not getting any smaller than four and growing as large as 12, which was the winning margin.
 
Offensively, it took a little while for MBU to get going but Hardy finished the game five of nine from behind the arc while his teammates were three of 14. Andrews scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half but more impressively had nine of his ten rebounds after halftime. Andrews also added six assists to his final statistics tonight. Guard Jadis White had seven assists. Nico Hill continued to come on late in the season coming close to another double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.
 
As a team, the Spartans outrebounded UHSP 42-37.
 
Tonight's win coupled with William Woods University beating Columbia College 66-65 means the Spartans are back on top in the American Midwest Conference with just one game to play. A victory over Harris-Stowe State University would ensure the Spartans get at least a share of the conference title, regardless of the results of Columbia's last two games.
 
Tip-off for the final regular season home game is 7:00 p.m. Thursday night at the Petty SRC.