HANNIBAL, Mo. — Mission University Men's Basketball saw its perfect conference start come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling 112–90 on the road to Hannibal-LaGrange. The Patriots dropped to 7–10 overall and 3–1 in conference play, while the Trojans improved to 9–6 and 3–1 in AMC action.
Pregame
Mission entered the matchup riding momentum after a 98–88 home conference win over Harris-Stowe, extending its conference record to 3–0. Hannibal-LaGrange came in at 8–6 overall and 2–1 in conference play, most recently earning a narrow 58–57 victory over Central Baptist.
Game Summary
Hannibal-LaGrange struck early, scoring the first basket and quickly establishing a perimeter rhythm. After Mission briefly pulled within single digits behind early threes from Jamarián Cato and Najee Williams, the Trojans responded with back-to-back perimeter makes from Josh Talton and Ian McDonald to take control.
Mission kept pace through the first 10 minutes behind Williams and Clifford Barrow, who helped cut the deficit to 32–30 following a three-point play and a finished layup from Jordyn Turner. Hannibal-LaGrange responded immediately, using a run highlighted by Kell Estep's perimeter shooting and multiple dunks from Davaughn Hueitt to regain momentum.
The Trojans closed the half strong, capitalizing on turnovers and second-chance points to stretch the lead to 60–45 at the break.
Hannibal-LaGrange opened the second half with a three from McDonald, then continued scoring heavily at the rim and from deep. Hueitt powered the offense with dunks, jumpers, and trips to the line, while Estep remained efficient from three. Mission answered with timely makes from Williams, Barrow, and Justin Gill, and Davion Sargent-Young provided scoring off the bench to keep the Patriots within reach.
Mission battled to chip the deficit to 14 on multiple occasions, including a stretch where Gill scored six straight points and Williams added a three. However, Hannibal-LaGrange continued to respond each time, pushing the margin back behind transition scoring and extra possessions.
In the final minutes, Mission knocked down several late threes from Barrow and Turner, but the Trojans closed the game with another perimeter burst to secure the 112–90 victory.
Stat Leaders
Mission
Mission shot 50% from the field and 44.1% from three, but Hannibal-LaGrange countered with 50.7% shooting and 19 made threes while also winning the rebounding battle 42–32.
Postgame
Despite efficient offensive stretches and strong contributions from multiple players, Mission was unable to overcome Hannibal-LaGrange's combination of three-point shooting, interior finishing, and second-chance scoring. Turnovers and defensive breakdowns proved costly, particularly during extended Trojan runs in each half.
The loss marks Mission's first setback in conference play.
Next Up
Mission continues conference action on the road Thursday, January 15, traveling to Columbia College for a 7:30 p.m. matchup.
