LAMONI, Iowa — Missouri Baptist University men's basketball suffered its first loss of the season Saturday afternoon, falling 79–66 to Graceland University inside the Morden Center.

The Spartans (9–1, 4–1 Heart) trailed 39–31 at halftime and never fully closed the gap as the Yellowjackets knocked down 10 three-pointers and outscored MBU 23–18 at the foul line.

Javaris Moye paced the Spartans with a team-high 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, shooting 8-for-20 from the field. Preston Fortner added 13 points, four rebounds, and two steals, while Drew Kegerreis went 6-for-6 at the stripe on his way to 10 points and six rebounds.

Austin Lewis provided eight points, three blocks, and three boards off the bench, and freshman Tristan Wiggins chipped in seven points in 12 minutes. Missouri Baptist recorded seven blocks defensively but struggled to find rhythm on the perimeter, finishing 2-for-22 from three (9.1%).

Graceland (10–2, 5–0 Heart) was fueled by Cole Bowen's 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Carson Busch added 16 points on 4-for-8 shooting from deep. The Yellowjackets shot 52.6 percent from beyond the arc and held a 36–31 rebounding advantage.

MBU will look to respond next Saturday, Dec. 13, when it travels to Benedictine College for a 4:00 p.m. Heart of America showdown.