CANTON, Mo. — Missouri Baptist University men's basketball snapped its three-game skid Wednesday night, earning a 65–57 Heart of America Conference road victory over Culver-Stockton College inside the Charles Field House.

The win lifts the Spartans to 11–4 overall and 6–2 in Heart play, while the Wildcats drop to 3–13 on the season and 0–8 in conference action.

Merquiche Lewis led MBU with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, adding five rebounds while going 7-of-8 at the free-throw line. Drew Kegerreis followed with 13 points and seven rebounds, going a perfect 7-for-7 at the stripe. Preston Fortner and Thai Elder each chipped in nine points, and Isaiah Dixon added seven points and two blocks.

MBU shot 40.0 percent (22-of-55) from the field and went 20-of-24 at the free-throw line, but was limited to 1-of-13 from 3-point range in the win.

First Half

The Spartans set the tone defensively early, holding Culver-Stockton to 29.6 percent shooting (8-of-27) in the opening half and building a double-digit cushion.

MBU took a 33–22 lead into the break behind efficient first-half shooting and steady production on both ends.

Second Half

Culver-Stockton made a push after halftime, outscoring the Spartans 35–32 in the second half and shooting 54.2 percent (13-of-24) over the final 20 minutes.

MBU answered at the free-throw line, going 16-of-20 in the second half to keep the Wildcats at bay and close out the eight-point conference road win.

Up Next

The Spartans return home Saturday, Jan. 10 to host Peru State College at the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. CT.