St. Louis, Mo. - CMU men's basketball fell on the road Wednesday evening, dropping a 67–59 decision to Missouri Baptist in Heart of America Conference action in St. Louis. 

Central drops to 11-7 and 5-5 in conference action, while the Spartans improve to 12-5 and 7-3 in the Heart of America. 

CMU was unable to overcome a slow first half, as Missouri Baptist built a 38–26 advantage at the break. Central showed resilience after halftime, outscoring the Spartans 33–29 in the second frame. However, the early deficit proved too much to erase.

Tyson Oghene led Central with 17 points, knocking down five three-pointers on nine attempts while adding two assists and two steals in 37 minutes.

Isaiah Bonaparte provided a strong spark off the bench, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on an efficient four-for-eight shooting night.

Raphael Gay and Austin Prater each added nine points, with Prater posting a double-double by pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with two steals.

As a team, Central shot 35.9 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Eagles made just eight trips to the free throw line, compared to 20 attempts for the Spartans. 

CMU matched Missouri Baptist on the glass with 38 total rebounds, including 11 offensive boards. 

Central will look to regroup, hosting Peru State College Saturday, January 17 at 4:00 p.m. inside Puckett Field House for the annual Hall of Fame Game. 

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