Miners reach 2-0 for first time since 2004-05 with 21-point win over Spartans

ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T held Missouri Baptist in check defensively for much of the night, holding the Spartans to 31 percent shooting for the night to come away with a 72-51 victory and allow it to open a campaign at 2-0 for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Tuesday’s game was a rather sluggish affair, as the teams combined for just 22 points in the first 10 minutes of play. But while the Spartans – who made only five of their 23 first half shots – continued to struggle from the floor, the Miners began to warm up over the balance of the half and started to take control of the contest.

Leading 20-15 after MBU’s LeAndre Johnson completed a three-point play at the 5:51 mark, S&T’s Mike Malat drained three straight three pointers to give the Miners a 14-point lead at the 2:46 mark. The Miners would take a 15-point lead of 33-18 to the locker room.

S&T continued the offensive surge after the intermission, outscoring Missouri Baptist 30-9 to open the second half to take its biggest lead of the contest at 36 points before the midway point. The Miners had an 11-0 run during that stretch, which started with a layup by Nusrath Khan after he drove along the baseline and ended with a putback by Bryce Foster.

The Miners held the Spartans’ field goal percentage well under 30 percent for a good portion of the game, before MBU cut the margin down to the final difference of 21 in the final minutes.

Foster led the Miners with 13 points, while Maurice Grinter was also in double figures with 10. Those two along with junior guard Tommy Pelczynski all had seven rebounds apiece to lead the Miners in that department. Khan and Malat had nine apiece, with all of Malat’s points coming on the three treys late in the first half.

The Miners finished the evening shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and went seven-of-16 from three-point range. S&T also forced 25 Missouri Baptist turnovers.

MBU’s Rondu Stevens led all scorers with 22 points.

Missouri S&T will host Southwest Baptist, a former rival from its days in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.