ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University men's basketball secured an 89-78 victory over Hannibal-LaGrange University in the Spartans' home and conference opener Saturday afternoon.
With the win, MBU improved to 2-4 on the season and opened American Midwest Conference (AMC) play with a 1-0 record.
The Spartans extended their winning streak to two games, fueled by five players scoring in double figures: Taiden Conner (17), Evan Palmquist (16), Austin Lewis (13), Thai Elder (11), and Breven McMullen (10).
Nine different Spartans contributed to the scoring effort. Conner delivered a standout performance, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line while adding five assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
Connor Redrow led the team in rebounds with nine and chipped in five points.
MBU shot 46.0% from the field, sinking 12 three-pointers at a 35.3% clip. The Spartans also capitalized on free throws, converting 19-of-24 attempts (79.2%), which proved pivotal in the 11-point victory.
Despite the loss, the Trojans outshot the Spartans from the field at 47.5% and matched their three-point production with a 12-of-25 (48.0%) performance from beyond the arc.
Missouri Baptist took a seven-point lead into halftime and stretched it to as much as 17 in the second half with just under six minutes remaining. The Spartans weathered a late push by Hannibal-LaGrange to secure their second win of the season.
"Hannibal was very physical tonight, screened well, and shot the ball extremely well," head coach Taylor Jarvis said. "They put a lot of pressure on our closeouts. They do a great job moving the basketball and running their offense. We had a tough time getting through some screens that led to open looks for them.
"Coach Durst does a great job with his group. They play with an edge, and they execute really well.
"As for our guys, we had good production from multiple players tonight. Another game with low turnovers, and I thought we executed really well on the offensive end. We've got to continue to fight to get a few more stops throughout the game, tighten up our ball screen coverage, and defend the three-point line better. Overall, I'm very proud of our guys and excited to get back on the floor Tuesday at Saint Ambrose."
MBU returns to action Tuesday, traveling to Davenport, Iowa, to face Saint Ambrose University. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
