Box Score (PDF)

BATESVILLE, Ark. – The Lyon College men's basketball team hung tough with the No. 8 team in the country in Missouri Baptist, but the Spartans escaped the Scots' upset bid and won by a score of 62-56. Missouri Baptist improved to 15-0 (7-0 AMC) with the win, while the Scots dropped to 5-4 (2-2 AMC).

Lyon opened up the game strong against Missouri Baptist as a bucket each by Chave Zackery, Emir Sabic and Blake Bradshaw accounted for the first six points of the day and gave the Scots a 6-0 lead. After the Spartans worked their way back into the game and knotted the score at 8-8, Faris Verlasevic hit a tough jumper in the lane and followed it up with a three to spark a 10-1 run, which was capped off by five straight points by Sabic to extend the Scots' lead to 18-9 with 8:41 left in the half.

The Scots continued to hold onto their lead until a three-point play by the Spartans' Callum Barker tied the game at 25-25. The Spartans would go on to grab a trio of two-point leads, with the final time occurring just before the half after another bucket by Barker gave MBU a 31-29 advantage at the half.

The Spartans took their largest lead of the game midway through the second half after another three-point play by Barker put MBU ahead, 47-37, with 9:51 remaining. Eric Moses shifted into another gear and began to take over the game as the senior accounted for eight of the next 10 points for the Scots as Lyon pulled within one point at 49-48. After a bucket by Sabic, Moses gave the Scots a 52-51 lead on their next possession. The Spartans responded with a 6-0 run after the bucket by Moses and took a 57-52 lead with just over a minute left to play. Lyon continued to battle back, but the Spartans hit some clutch free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.

Moses finished with a game-high 22 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to lead the Scots. Barker led the Spartans with a team-high 21 points.

"I was proud of our effort today," said Lyon College head men's basketball coach Chad Tapp. "I thought we battled on both ends with a really good team. I know this is the AMC and all that matters is getting Stowe and Columbia to the tournament, but I think we've played a really good schedule and have a really good team."

"I'm not sure how we only shot 12 free throws to their 22, but once again, I guess that is how it works in the AMC against one of the better teams," finished Tapp.

The Scots will look to climb back up the American Midwest Conference standings when they host St. Louis College of Pharmacy on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at Becknell Gymnasium.

Men's Basketball Contact: Matt Jagodzinski
870-307-7516 | matthew.jagodzinski@lyon.edu
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