ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University men's basketball cruised past Crowley's Ridge College, 100-75, behind a scorching 54% shooting performance Thursday night at the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 11-14 overall, 6-4 at home, and 8-7 in American Midwest Conference (AMC) play. MBU currently sits in sixth place in the AMC standings.
The Spartans were efficient across the board, shooting 54% from the floor, 50% from beyond the arc, and 75% from the free-throw line.
After trailing 34-33 late in the first half, MBU found its rhythm, full steam ahead and never looking back en route to the 25-point victory.
Balanced Attack Fuels Spartans
Five Spartans scored in double figures in the dominant offensive performance.
Evan Palmquist led the way with 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three, and an impressive 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. He also contributed four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
Breven McMullen followed with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, knocking down 4-of-7 from deep while adding two rebounds and an assist.
Taiden Conner registered 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, going 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, while dishing out five assists, grabbing three rebounds, and recording two steals.
Courtland Soll and Thai Elder each scored 14 points. Soll shot 6-of-9 from the field, adding five assists and three rebounds, while Elder went 5-of-8 from the floor, hit 4-of-7 from three, and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Spartans Pull Away After Close First Half
Thursday's win stamped a bounce-back performance for MBU, which avenged its Jan. 9 loss to the Pioneers (82-81) to split the season series.
The teams traded baskets early, with MBU taking a 6-5 lead on a floater from Soll with 16:30 remaining in the first half. The Pioneers responded with a 9-1 run, extending their lead to 19-14 after a three-pointer.
MBU chipped away, and a fast-break layup by Conner brought the Spartans within one. Moments later, a corner three from Austin Lewis put MBU ahead 32-30 with 3:30 left in the half.
The Spartans closed the period strong, capped by a buzzer-beating three from Elder that sent the home crowd into a frenzy and gave MBU a 46-36 halftime advantage.
MBU shot 46.9% from the field in the first half, while CRC hit 45.5% of its attempts.
Second Half Surge Seals the Win
McMullen opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers, stretching the lead to 54-38 and forcing a CRC timeout.
The Spartans maintained control the rest of the way. A dunk from Connor Redrow put MBU up 66-50 with 14 minutes left, and Elder's slam extended the lead to 74-56 with just over 10 minutes to play.
Lewis added another emphatic dunk to push the advantage to 79-58, as MBU continued to dominate en route to the 100-75 final.
Up Next
MBU returns to the court for Senior Day on Saturday, hosting Williams Baptist University at 4 p.m.
