Athletics Headlines: Spartans Pick up Long Due Win at Home

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January 10, 2008

Spartans Pick up Long Due Win at Home

The Missouri Baptist University men’s basketball team snapped a 14 game losing streak Thursday night, in a 65-61 American Midwest Conference win over Hannibal-LaGrange College. The win was the first for the Spartans since November 3rd, and sets their record at 3-14 (1-0 in the AMC). Hannibal drops to 8-8 (0-1 in the AMC).

MBU trailed the Trojans 35-28 at halftime, but their ferocious defense fueled a second half comeback. MBU held HLG without a point for the first seven minutes of the second half and HLG could only muster up 10 points in the first 16 minutes of second half action. MBU led by as many as ten points with two minutes remaining in the game, but HLG would not go down without a fight. The Trojans of HLG converted on two forced MBU turnovers and another two quick baskets with less than a minute to go to cut the MBU lead to just two points. A 10-foot jumper by MBU’s James “Big Shot” Hicks (Parkway South High School) gave the Spartans a four point cushion with just seconds remaining. HLG would again cut the MBU lead to two points, but two free-throws by MBU’s Bret Wilson with 1.6 seconds left on the clock made for the final margin.

Bret Wilson had 18 points for MBU, Brandon Bishop 14, and Geoffry Grant and Jason Fry had nine each. The Spartans shot 41.1% from the field, 5 for 10 from behind the arc, and 62.5% from the charity stripe.

Hopefully the win will provide momentum for the Spartans as they host AMC big rival, Columbia College (13-3, 1-0) at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, (following the women's game at 2:00).