St. Louis, Mo. – The No. 5-seeded Central Methodist Men's Basketball team used a dominant second-half surge to claim its first win of the season over No. 4-seeded Missouri Baptist, defeating the Spartans 75-66 Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament in St. Louis.
The Eagles outscored Missouri Baptist 42-29 after halftime, erasing a four-point deficit at the break to secure a nine-point victory.
The win also marked Central's first victory over the Spartans this season after dropping both regular-season matchups.
Missouri Baptist carried a 37-33 lead into halftime. The Spartans pushed the margin to as many as six early in the second half before Central began to chip away.
A Tyson Oghene three-pointer at the 17:32 mark cut the deficit to 41-38, and the Eagles continued to battle inside. After trading baskets midway through the half, Central took control with a 10-2 stretch that flipped a one-point deficit into a 55-50 advantage with 8:34 to play following a Raphael Gay layup off an Isaiah Reams assist.
MBU briefly tied the game at 55-55 on a three-pointer, but the Eagles responded immediately. Davion Guity converted a three-point play to regain the lead, and Central never trailed again.
Clinging to a 63-61 edge with just over three minutes remaining, the Eagles delivered the decisive sequence. A Isaiah Bonaparte steal led to second-chance opportunities, and Oghene powered through contact for a layup and free throw to extend the lead to 66-61 with 3:02 left. Reams added a driving layup and knocked down key free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
Gay led all scorers with 22 points on an efficient eight-of-10 shooting effort, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. Reams contributed 15 points and five assists, while Oghene finished with 13 points, including a pivotal three-point play late. Guity added 12 points off the bench, highlighted by three three-pointers and a momentum-swinging and-one in the second half.
The Eagles shot 43.5 percent from the field and held a 39-35 edge on the glass, including nine offensive rebounds that helped fuel second-chance scoring opportunities. Central also capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 17-of-21 attempts for 81 percent.
With the win, Central Methodist advances to the Heart Tournament semifinals for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
The Eagles will take on No. 1 seeded Graceland University, Friday, Feb. 27 in Lamoni, Iowa. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
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