ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Interstat) — A spot in the NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament semifinals will be on the line Tuesday when the Missouri Baptist Spartans host the Central Methodist Eagles in a quarterfinal matchup.

The game, scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026, at Missouri Baptist’s home court, features two teams familiar with each other. The No. 4-seeded Spartans (18-9) swept the regular-season series from the No. 5-seeded Eagles (17-11), winning 67-59 at home on Jan. 14 and 79-68 on the road on Feb. 18.

Missouri Baptist enters the postseason having won four of its last five games, including an 84-66 road victory at Park on Saturday. Javaris Moye led the way in that win, scoring 22 points with five assists and two blocks in just 23 minutes. Moye has been a consistent offensive threat, averaging 16.4 points over his last seven contests.

Central Methodist arrives in St. Louis off a decisive 68-49 win at Peru State, a performance it hopes can springboard a postseason run. The Eagles are led by guard Isaiah Reams, who scored 20 points in that victory. Reams has been a workhorse, logging 39 minutes in each of the last two games. His production is critical; in Central Methodist’s overtime win over Culver-Stockton on Feb. 11, he posted 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Eagles will need secondary scoring to complement Reams to overcome the Spartans. In the Feb. 18 loss to Missouri Baptist, only Tyson Oghene (14 points) joined Reams (10 points) in double figures. The Spartans, meanwhile, have shown balanced attack behind Moye, with Merquiche Lewis and Preston Fortner providing significant playmaking.

History favors the home team, but the single-elimination format of the Heart Tournament raises the stakes. Central Methodist seeks to reverse its fortunes against Missouri Baptist and advance, while the Spartans aim to leverage their season sweep and home court to continue their campaign. Tipoff is set for Tuesday night.