ST. LOUIS — Missouri Baptist University men's basketball (3–0) continues its strong start to the 2025–26 campaign with two key matchups this week — a road test at Columbia College on Wednesday and the home and conference opener Saturday afternoon against Clarke University.
The Matchups
The Spartans travel to Columbia, Missouri, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to face former American Midwest Conference rival Columbia College (5–0) inside the Arena of Southwell Complex. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
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MBU and Columbia last met twice during the 2024–25 season, with the Cougars taking both contests. All-time, MBU is 16–29 against Columbia. The Cougars have opened the season 3–0 at home and remain unbeaten overall.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Spartans return to the Carl and Deloris Petty SRC for their Heart of America Athletic Conference debut, hosting Clarke University (2–4, 0–2 away) at 2:00 p.m. CT.
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MBU and Clarke have met just once before, a 69–66 Spartan victory in 2018, giving the Spartans a 1–0 record all-time in the series.
Spartan Start
MBU has been balanced and efficient through three games, averaging 83.7 points per contest while holding opponents to 75.3. The Spartans are shooting 50.3 percent from the field and hold a +9.3 rebounding margin, fueled by team defense and aggressive play inside.
- Javaris Moye leads the team at 19.5 points per game, shooting 45.2 percent and adding 5.5 rebounds per outing.
- Merquiche Lewis and Tristan Wiggins follow closely, each averaging 15.3 points, with Wiggins shooting over 51 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc.
- Austin Lewis contributes 11.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, while Isaiah Dixon anchors the frontcourt with 9.0 rebounds and 8.7 points per game.
- Preston Fortner continues to orchestrate the offense, averaging 6.3 assists per game and leading the team in minutes (35.0).
With 10.3 steals per game, the top mark in the Heart, MBU's defense has established itself as one of the conference's most aggressive units.
What's Ahead
Following this week's two-game stretch, the Spartans will continue Heart of America play with a four-game homestand at the Carl and Deloris Petty SRC. The stretch begins with Saturday's matchup against Clarke and includes conference contests against Culver-Stockton College, Grand View University, and William Woods University.
