ST. LOUIS- In an unprecedented situation, the Spartans were limited to only six players for last night's (Jan 9) game against the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy. Despite the lack of substitutes, the Spartans remained strong against their opponent, defeating UHSP 88-55.
 
Initially, it looked like MBU was going to have a tough time against the Eutectics. Their first few attempts at scoring didn't pan out, while UHSP kicked things off by netting a three-pointer a minute in. Averaging over 75 points a game, the Eutectics have proven their ability to score, and with only six players, MBU knew they had to be careful on defense.
 
Despite this, MBU showed how unyielding they are in the face of adversity. Almost immediately, the Spartans made their comeback. Nico Hill, receiving the ball on the inbound, saw a lane and took it. Sinking the layup, Hill put the Spartans on the scoreboard, and not long after, he would secure the lead for MBU. The next few minutes remained a close ball game, with MBU holding onto their lead by a basket or two.
 
Things really began to pick up for MBU after they went on a seven-point run, with Mujtaba Alkhaldi kicking it off with a layup after securing an offensive rebound. The gap only continued to widen after that, with multiple players showing off their skills. Alkhaldi went to work in the paint, using his size to put up point after point. Hill pulled out all the stops, sinking layups, netting jump shots, and slamming home a dunk after picking up a loose ball right out of a UHSP player's hands. Evan Palmquist had quick hand as well, tallying up three steals during the half. Overall, the Spartans ended the half on top, 59-26.
 
With such a large lead, MBU entered the second half with a bit of breathing room. Despite each player averaging around 16 minutes of playing time, they came out strong. Those first few minutes were easily controlled by the Spartans. Palmquist kicked things off for the Spartans this half. The sophomore received the ball at the top of the key and then drove in and around his defender to sink a layup. Not long after, Alkhaldi snagged an offensive rebound and immediately put it back up to earn another two points. Following that up on the Eutectics' end, Hill got his hand on a pass and took it up the court to slam home his second dunk of the game.
 
Ultimately, their time on the court started to catch up to the MBU players. With the Spartans starting to feel tired, they decided to slow down and play smart. MBU was able to stay on top, largely due to the lead they gained in the first half. For the rest of the second half, it was a back-and-forth affair. For every point one team earned, the other had an answer. The score just from the second period was 29-29. Overall, the Spartans emerged victorious, defeating UHSP 88-55.
 
Each Spartan played a key role in the win over the Eutectics, whether it was putting up a number of points, going to work on the boards, or being that sixth man to come onto the court to give another player a much-needed reprieve. Leading the Spartans was Mujtaba Alkhaldi, who put up a staggering 29 points and 11 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. Not far behind was Nico Hill, who had 23 points and 8 rebounds. Evan Palmquist and D'Mari Wiltz were up there as well, with 19 and 11 points, respectively. Breven McMullen and Nick Wasilewski were able to lend their skills to the Spartans in other ways. McMullen was a key player on the boards, bringing down 9 rebounds, and Wasilewski was second on the team in assists with four.
 
The Spartans will be back at full power tomorrow (Jan 11), just in time to take on conference foe, Columbia College.