Southwest Baptist recap
Ross Ryan tallied a season-high 20 points for the Maryville men's basketball team but Southwest Baptist shot 68 percent in the second half to beat the Saints 76-61. He sank nine of his 16 shots Thursday in Bolivar, Mo., to keep the Saints in contention throughout the night.
 
What Happened
In a first half that saw 13 lead changes, the Saints received a boost from Ryan, who scored 12 points in the first 20 minutes. Chris Williams sank all three of his 3-point attempts before halftime and contributed nine points. Dezmond McDaniel pulled up from the left elbow, and his jumper at the buzzer was good for a 32-29 at the break.
 
The Bearcats started the second half on a 13-0 run to overtake the Saints in the opening minutes after halftime. Ryan finally scored to get Maryville's first points after the break. Parker Long made one free throw, and Ryan knocked down a jumper and had a layup to bring the Saints to 53-42 with just over 10 minutes to play. Long connected on a 3-pointer as the Saints inched to within 10 points at 55-45. SBU scored five straight to take its biggest lead of the night. Owen Long drove for a basket to start a 6-0 burst for the Saints. Ryan grabbed an offensive rebound and had a putback, and McDaniel stole a pass and went the length of the court to pull Maryville to 60-52 at the 5:32 mark. However, the Bearcats hit a 3-pointer and answered with five straight points to rebuild a double-digit lead.
 
Owen Long added 11 points and led the Saints with six rebounds and two assists. Parker Long and Williams both chipped in nine points apiece.
 
Statistical Leaders
Points: Ross Ryan – 20
Rebounds: Owen Long – 6
Assists: Owen Long – 2
Steals: three players – 1
Blocked Shots: Ross Ryan – 1
3-Pointers: Chris Williams – 3
 
Records
Maryville: 4-14, 0-11 GLVC
Southwest Baptist: 15-4, 8-3 GLVC
 
What's Next?
The Saints end a three-game road swing as they play at Drury Saturday, Feb. 1, in a 3 p.m. tip in Springfield, Mo.