Lyon College Men’s Basketball Looks for AMC Tourney Run

Courtesy Lyon College Athletics Department

Now that they’ve gotten to the American Midwest Conference Postseason Tournament, the Lyon College men’s basketball team knows that anything can happen in the quest for the league’s automatic berth for the NAIA Division National Tournament. The slate has been wiped clean.

The Scots, who led most of their conference opponents at halftime during the regular season, will take their No. 6-seed to St. Louis on Thursday to take on No. 3-seed Missouri Baptist University in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Lyon is currently 9-19 on the season, while the Spartans enter the game at 16-14. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

There is even a chance that Lyon could host a semifinal game on Saturday if they knock off the Spartans on Thursday. If No. 7-seed Harris-Stowe State University (6-24) upsets No. 2-seed Park University (19-8) in another quarterfinal game in Parkville, Mo., Lyon would be at home on Saturday at 4 p.m.

In the other half of the bracket, No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Columbia College (30-0) will host No. 9-seed Hannibal-LaGrange University (6-23) and No. 4-seed Williams Baptist College (18-11) will take on No. 5-seed William Woods University (13-16) at home on Thursday games.

The AMC Postseason Conference Championship game will be played on Tuesday at the highest seed remaining. That tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Lyon College split its games with Missouri Baptist during the regular season. The Scots defeated the Spartans in St. Louis, 73-69, then dropped a 84-78 decision at home.

The Scots currently rank No. 18 in NAIA Division I in blocked shots per game (3.39) and 23rd in total blocks (95). Lyon ranks 42nd in total 3-point field goals made (191) and 43rd in three-point field goals made per game (6.8).

Lyon’s Jordan Layrock ranks 11th in blocks per game (1.41) and 15th in total blocks (38), while Marcus Humose ranks 22nd in free throw percentage (81.6%) and Slater Belew ranks 31st in blocks per game (1.11) and 32nd in total blocks (31).

Missouri Baptist ranks 11th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (28.1), 25th in total rebounds (1,120) and 39th in total rebounds per game (37.3) and total blocks (83).

LeAndre Johnson is the leading scorer for the Spartans, throwing in 15.4 points per game, while Kalvin Lewis is second at 10.4 and Adrian Kuyinu is third at 9.3.

Garrison Plummer leads MBU in rebounds, averaging 6.6 per contest, while Matt Holmes is second at 4.5 and Johnson is pulling down 4.1.

Humose leads the Scots in scoring, averaging 13.8 per contest, with Kendall Leeks second at 12.1, Devonte Young third with a 9.4 average and Layrock is fourth with an 8.1 scoring average.

Leeks is the top rebounder for Lyon, pulling down 5.9 per contest. Layrock is second on the boards with a 4.8 mark and Belew is hauling in 4.5 per game.