ST. LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University men's basketball will open the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a home match against Central Methodist University on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m.
 
The Spartans clinched the fourth seed in the Heart tournament after rattling off four consecutive wins to end the regular season, including one over No. 25 Graceland University on Feb. 14. The Eagles come in as the fifth seed after going 18-10 in the regular season with a 12-8 conference record.
 
Defensively, the Spartans were among the best in the league, with Javaris Moye leading the conference with 67 steals and Austin Lewis leading with 45 blocks. Preston Fortner also found himself in the top five with 49 steals, while Isaiah Dixon was fourth with 36 blocks.
 
Isaiah Reams had an outstanding first season with the Eagles, notching 18.3 points per game to finish fifth in the conference. Raphael Gay led the Heart in field goal percentage, 65.1 percent, and finished fifth in total blocks.
 
The Eagles and the Spartans met twice during conference play, with MBU taking both. Austin Lewis, Drew Kegerreis, and Merquiche Lewis combined for 48 points in a 67-59 home win on Jan. 14. On Feb. 18, M. Lewis and Moye combined for 43, with both posting north of 20 points in a 79-68 road win.
 
The Heart Quarterfinals will be streamed for free on the Urban Edge Network. Tickets to the event can be found on MBUSpartans.com/tickets. Live stats will be available here.