ST. LOUIS — Missouri Baptist University men's basketball (12–6, 7–4 Heart) returns home this week for a pair of matchups inside the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC, beginning with a nonconference contest Wednesday night against Hesston College before resuming Heart of America Conference play Saturday afternoon against Park University.
The Spartans enter the week looking to bounce back after a 69–66 road setback at William Penn on Saturday, while continuing a strong stretch of play at home, where MBU is 6–2 this season.
The Matchups
Wednesday, Jan. 21 — vs. Hesston College
7:30 p.m. CT | Carl & Deloris Petty SRC | St. Louis, Mo.
Saturday, Jan. 24 — vs. Park University
4:00 p.m. CT | Carl & Deloris Petty SRC | St. Louis, Mo.
Hesston Preview
Hesston enters Wednesday's matchup with a 3–20 overall record and brings an aggressive perimeter attack into St. Louis. The Larks average 72.9 points per game and knock down 8.8 three-pointers per contest, creating a scoring threat that can swing momentum quickly.
Trent Thompson leads the way for Hesston at 13.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while Brennon Dodge (12.6 ppg) and Antonio Odum (9.9 ppg) provide additional scoring punch. Brycten Harris adds a strong outside presence, shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range while averaging 9.5 points per contest.
Wednesday's contest will mark the first meeting in program history between Missouri Baptist and Hesston, and the first appearance by the Larks inside the Petty SRC.
Park Preview
MBU will return to Heart play on Saturday when it hosts Park University in a key conference matchup. The Pirates enter the weekend 8–10 overall and 5–5 in the Heart, and they have posted a 1–5 record away from home this season.
Saturday's matchup gives the Spartans an opportunity to continue building momentum in league play as the Heart standings tighten heading into late January.
Spartan Start
MBU sits at 12–6 overall and 7–4 in conference play through 18 games this season. The Spartans are averaging 76.4 points per game while holding opponents to 72.5 points per contest, owning a +3.9 scoring margin on the year.
MBU is shooting 45.7 percent from the field and holds a +2.0 rebounding margin, while continuing to rely on its defense to create extra possessions. The Spartans are forcing 14.0 turnovers per game while committing just 11.4, producing a +2.6 turnover margin to fuel transition offense.
Leading the Way
MBU continues to be paced by its veteran core.
Javaris Moye leads the Spartans at 18.3 points per game while also serving as MBU's top defensive playmaker with 41 steals. Merquiche Lewis follows at 13.4 points per game while shooting 52.0 percent from the floor.
Preston Fortner averages 9.6 points per game and leads the team with 56 assists, while Drew Kegerreis contributes 9.4 points per contest and has provided consistent production on both ends of the floor. Isaiah Dixon adds 6.5 points per game and anchors the paint defensively with 26 blocks on the year.
Fans can follow Wednesday and Saturday's games live on the Urban Edge Network, with live stats available at mbuspartans.com.
