ST. LOUIS — Missouri Baptist University men's basketball (10–4, 5–2 Heart) returns to Heart of America Conference action this week with a pair of league matchups, beginning with a road contest at Culver-Stockton College on Wednesday night before returning home Saturday afternoon to host Peru State College.
The Spartans enter the week looking to snap a three-game losing streak, while Culver-Stockton is also searching for momentum after dropping three straight contests.
The Matchups
Wednesday, Jan. 7 — at Culver-Stockton College
7:30 p.m. CT | Charles Field House | Canton, Mo.
Saturday, Jan. 10 — vs. Peru State College
2:00 p.m. CT | Carl & Deloris Petty SRC | St. Louis, Mo.
Culver-Stockton Preview
Culver-Stockton enters Tuesday's matchup with a 3–12 overall record and remains winless in Heart play at 0–7. The Wildcats have dropped three consecutive games and will look to protect home court inside the Charles Field House.
The two teams met earlier this season on Nov. 19 in St. Louis, where Missouri Baptist earned an 85–68 victory behind efficient shooting, depth scoring, and defensive pressure that forced 20 Culver-Stockton turnovers.
Spartan Start
MBU sits at 10–4 overall and 5–2 in conference play through 14 games this season. The Spartans are averaging 79.3 points per game while holding opponents to 74.6 points per contest, owning a +4.7 scoring margin on the year. MBU is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and outrebounds opponents by 3.6 boards per game, while also forcing 13.8 opponent turnovers per contest.
Defensively, the Spartans average 8.6 steals and 4.1 blocks per game, ranking among the Heart's more disruptive units on that end of the floor.
Leading the Way
MBU continues to rely on a balanced lineup led by its veteran core.
Javaris Moye leads the Spartans at 19.0 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds and a team-high 40 steals, impacting both ends of the floor. Merquiche Lewis provides interior efficiency, averaging 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
Preston Fortner averages 9.6 points per game and leads the team with 42 assists, while Drew Kegerreis (8.3 ppg), Tristan Wiggins (8.5 ppg), and Austin Lewis (7.6 ppg) add scoring depth and defensive versatility across the lineup.
Looking Ahead
Following Wednesday's road contest, MBU returns home Saturday afternoon to host Peru State College. The Bobcats enter the week at 8–7 overall and 4–4 in Heart play and have won two straight games, setting up another important conference matchup inside the Petty SRC.
