Spartans end UHSP's Tournament run in AMC Semis
The Eutectics had a chance on Saturday to exorcise some demons and all but assure themselves a spot in the NAIA National Tournament. Big games come with big stakes and that is what was on the line in Columbia as 3-UHSP met 2-Missouri Baptist in the American Midwest Conference Tournament semifinals.
The Spartans had swept the season series against their fellow St. Louis residents, had beaten UHSP 21 of the last 23 meetings and brought a 6-game win streak into the game following a come-from-behind win over 7-William Woods in the tournament quarterfinals. The Spartans were not to be denied a trip to the tournament finals as they defeated the Eutectics for the third time this season, 77-45.
It was a rough first half for the Purple and Gold. As if trailing 18-7 at the end of the first quarter was not bad enough, they were down 24-13 before having to endure a nearly four-minute scoring drought. MBU did not exactly bury the Eutectics over those four minutes, as it was 27-15 after a pair of Grace Beyer free throws with 2:23 left in the half. But the scoring drought prevented the Eutectics a chance to cut into the Spartan double-digit lead and in a game where points were difficult to come by, it made it awfully difficult for UHSP in the second half. The Eutectics had nine first half turnovers to just two for Missouri Baptist.
Before the start of the third, UHSP Head Coach Jeff Reis told his group, "we gotta get it to single digits by the fourth and then see what happens". The Eutectics could not have asked for a better start to the third quarter. Grace Beyer and Lauren Ebert traded layups, but back to back triples by Beyer and Elizabeth Allanach cut the deficit to 33-25 just 1:46 into the third and the Eutectics were in the best spot they had been in since the first quarter. But the Purple and Gold had trouble all day with MBU's inside game and Alexis Allstun continued to be a problem. She helped stabilize the Spartans after the Eutectics' run with a pair of layups. A Beyer layup made it 43-33 before MoBap finished the quarter on a 13-0 stretch including a buzzer-beating triple by Tionne Taylor as the Spartans had a commanding 56-33 lead through three.
The fourth quarter was more of Missouri Baptist pouring it on. Taylor hit back-to-back from deep as the Spartans took an eventual 30-point lead at 68-38 and cruised to the win.
Grace Beyer led all scorers with 29 points and seven rebounds. Elizabeth Allanach added 9 points while Makenzie Schierding had 10 boards to go along with four points. Missouri Baptist had three in double digits led by Tionne Taylor with 20 points. Bryce Dowell added 17 points and Alexis Allstun chipped in with 15 points and seven rebounds. It was a day that UHSP just did not shoot it well from the going just 30.9% to Missouri Baptist's 50.8%. The Spartans buried seven triples with UHSP hitting just two. MoBap had just six turnovers to the Eutectics' 19.
The 2-Spartans advance to the AMC Tournament Finals with the win while the 3-Eutectics (21-8) see their tournament run end in the semifinals for the second straight year.