Athletics Headlines: Men's Basketball Fends off Pesky HLG

« Men's Basketball Will Host HLG in Round One of AMC Tourney | Main | Men's Basketball Concludes Season »

February 28, 2007

Men's Basketball Fends off Pesky HLG

As they say in the NCAA Tournament “Survive and Advance”. That’s what the Spartans of Missouri Baptist University did when they defeated Hannibal LaGrange College in the first round of the American Midwest Conference Tournament 75-72. With the win, the Spartans (14-13) will travel to the University of Illinois Springfield on March 2nd for round two of tournament play. UIS boasts of the number one seed in conference action and MBU holds the number four seed with a conference record of 6-6.

In the contest, Isaiah Johnson led MBU’s attack with 16 points, but it was Brandon Powell’s jump shot with 35 seconds remaining in the game that changed the momentum. HLG led the entire second half and by as many as eight points late in the second half. However, a persistent Spartan squad hung around and capitalized off some key HLG mistakes. The Spartans led 72-70 with less than one minute to play. MBU ran the shot clock down to five seconds, that’s when Brandon Powell did his thing. Powell, who scored 14 points on the night, hit his biggest shot that saved the Spartans season when he came off a screen and hit the uncontested jumper with 35 seconds on the game clock. A few fouls later HLG found themselves down three points with 10 seconds remaining. The Spartan defense hung tough as they double-teamed HLG’s Wayne McPike on the last second attempt that sailed right of the basket.

‘We were really carried down the stretch by our big man B.J. Latham and big plays from senior Jimmy Cessna who truly has been the heart and soul of this team all season long” said MBU assistant coach, Noll Billings. “Jimmy has been playing injured for the majority of the season and has still managed to be the glue that has kept us moving forward”.

Round two tip off is scheduled for 7:00 PM at UIS on March 2nd.