ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University men's basketball upset No. 25 Graceland University 75-67 on Senior Day. The Spartans bested the top team in the Heart of America Athletic Conference on Saturday behind 32 combined points from
Merquiche Lewis and
Javaris Moye.
MBU entered the day at seventh in the conference's Points Rating System (PRS) and will move up after a win over the top-ranked team in the system. The conference PRS will determine the qualifiers for the Heart Tournament. A full breakdown of the Point Rating System and postseason procedures can be found
here.
The Spartans opened the first half with 40 percent shooting from the field and 10 points each from Lewis and Moye. The Jackets took a 16-12 lead early, but a steal from Moye and a fastbreak layup changed the momentum.
The offense continued to get the ball into the paint, extending the lead out to seven. Graceland battled back, however, with Cole Bowen tying the game at 32 on a free throw with 55 seconds left in the first half. On the next possession, Moye drove and scored again with 24 seconds left to put MBU out in front heading into the locker room.
Senior
Preston Fortner carried the team in the second half, putting up 11 points and three rebounds, including five-for-five from the charity stripe. He kicked off the next 20 minutes with a mid-range jumper, followed by a bucket from Moye and a three from
Drew Kegerreis that put the Spartans up six at 41-35.
Graceland continued to hang around until MBU found favorable foul calls. Fortner converted an And-1 opportunity at 7:21, Kegerreis hit a pair at 6:46, and
Austin Lewis buried a three to open a 60-53 advantage.
Balanced scoring had the Jackets sticking around until the end, but four good free throws from Fortner down the stretch closed the game out with a 75-67 final score.
"We believe in this group, and our group believes in them," said Head Coach
Taylor Jarvis. "We got a good win for seniors, and our back was up against the wall, and we had to get one. We believe we are the best team in the conference, and tonight I thought our defensive energy and anticipation were there. The guys did a great job."
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Points:
Merquiche Lewis – 18
Rebounds:
Isaiah Dixon – 8
Assists:
Preston Fortner – 6
3-Pointers:
Merquiche Lewis – 2
Steals:
Javaris Moye – 4
Blocked Shots: 4 Tied – 1
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Spartans continue their postseason push at Central Methodist University on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The opening tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
*About the PRS System
The Point Rating System (PRS) evaluates conference game results throughout the regular season, with points awarded based on opponent winning percentage and game location. PRS standings are updated following each regular night of conference play.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the eight teams with the highest PRS will qualify for the Heart Men's Basketball Postseason Tournament. In the event of a tie in PRS, the conference's established tiebreaker procedures will be applied.
The Heart's regular-season conference champion — and automatic bid to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship — will continue to be determined by the overall conference record.
A full breakdown of the Point Rating System and postseason procedures can be found here.
