ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University men's basketball is set to compete in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Tournament this week, entering as the No. 5 seed. The Spartans will face No. 4 seed Hannibal-LaGrange University in the opening round on Thursday.
MBU finished the regular season with a 12-16 overall record, going 9-9 in conference play, 7-4 at home, and 5-9 on the road. The Spartans enter the tournament on a two-game losing streak and will meet the Trojans for the third time this season.
MBU claimed an 89-78 victory over HLGU in its home opener on Nov. 23 but fell to the Trojans on the road, 67-63, on Jan. 25. With the season series split, Thursday's game will serve as the rubber match, with the winner advancing to face either William Woods University or Harris-Stowe State University in the second round.
2025 AMC Men's Basketball Tournament
BRACKET | TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
MBU
The Spartans have a strong history in the AMC Tournament, last winning the championship in 2022, their third in program history.
MBU averages 79.4 points per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. The Spartans convert 34.8% of their three-point attempts and shoot 74% from the free-throw line.
Evan Palmquist leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game along with 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals.
Austin Lewis provides efficiency in the shot department, shooting 52.7% from the floor while averaging 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
HLGU
The Trojans closed out the regular season with a 13-12 record, finishing 10-8 in AMC play. They went 7-5 at home and 6-5 on the road, ending the season on a two-game winning streak.
HLGU has one AMC Tournament championship in program history, dating back to 1998.
The Trojans average 70.6 points per game while shooting 42% from the field. They connect on 38% of their three-point attempts and shoot 69.4% from the free-throw line.
Josh Talton leads the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game, while Kell Estep is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points per contest.
