ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University men's basketball earned an important 82-64 home victory over Missouri Valley College on Tuesday night at the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC. The Spartans improve to 16-9 overall and 10-7 in league play, sitting ninth in the
Points Rating System in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, while the Vikings fall to 16-9 and 10-7 in league play.
MBU placed three players in double figures and was led by
Austin Lewis, who scored 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting.
Merquiche Lewis added 15 points and nine rebounds, while
Javaris Moye chipped in 12 points. The Spartans shot 45.7 percent from the field (32-of-70) and outrebounded Missouri Valley 51-39.
Missouri Valley was paced by Devin Davenport, who finished with 21 points, while Damario Moss added 16 points. The Vikings struggled shooting the ball, finishing at 26.7 percent from the field (16-of-60) and 31.6 percent from three-point range (6-of-19).
The Spartans set the tone early, building a double-digit advantage midway through the first half behind interior scoring and strong rebounding. The Spartans shot 47.4 percent in the opening half and carried a 47-33 lead into the locker room.
MBU maintained control throughout the second half, extending the lead to 20 on a Lewis dunk at 13:06. Missouri Baptist held Missouri Valley to 19.4 percent shooting in the second half, while continuing to generate second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass.
The team Spartans pushed the margin to as many as 22 points down the stretch and closed out the contest at the free-throw line to secure the 18-point victory.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points:
Austin Lewis – 18
Rebounds:
Merquiche Lewis – 9
Assists:
Preston Fortner – 5
3-Pointers:
Preston Fortner – 2
Steals:
Preston Fortner – 3
Blocked Shots:
Merquiche Lewis – 3
WHAT'S NEXT?
Saturday, Feb. 14, is Senior Day at the Carl & Deloris Petty SRC against Graceland University. The opening tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
