The game pitted Wabash Valley's Dan Sparks against familiar foe Jay Spoonhour, the Moberly head coach.

But the game had added significance - Spoonhour coached the Warriors to the 2000-2001 NJCAA National Championship. Twice during that season Spoonhour's Warriors defeated Sparks' Vincennes Trailblazers.

But Sparks is now even, having opened the season with an 81-75 victory at Moberly.

This game was not without drama. Wabash Valley trailed, 27-22, when Kreig Oxley dropped in a three-pointer. Then came another Oxley trey. Eric Saunders and Dezmond Hickman temporarily stemmed the tide, but Cornelius Chatt scored on an inside bucket for the Warriors, and Oxley added two straight three-pointers.

The Warriors were in front, 36-34, and never trailed again.

Wabash Valley went on to take a 45-40 halftime lead.

Early in the second half the Warriors built a 57-50 lead as Desmond Holloway hit one of two from the line. But Moberly kept coming back and several times got to within one point. When Chatt hit a baseline jumper, Wabash Valley held a 73-64 lead. A Chatt layup with 4:30 to go provided Wabash Valley with an 82-70 margin.

Moberly got no closer than seven, which the Greyhounds did six times down the stretch.

The game was as even as the score. Moberly held a 28-27 rebounding margin. Chris Britt, Desmond Holloway and Omar Sanders each had five caroms while Brandon Dunson had four. Jarret Towns had eight for the Greyhounds with Antwan Boyd grabbing seven and Karron Johnson six.

The Warriors had eight steals to the Greyhounds' seven. Moberly also turned the ball over 17 times to Wabash Valley's 15.

Chatt led five Warriors in double figures with 23. Sanders added 19, Corey Wickware 18, Oxley 12 and Dunson 11.

Wabash Valley hit 33 of 62 overall from the field, 53.2 percent, including 12 of 32 from three-point range, 37.5 percent. The Warriors hit 23 of 29 free throws for 79.3 percent.

Johnson led Moberly with 25 while Boyd added 22. Towns hit 20 and Saunders added 12.

The Greyhounds hit 37 of 67 overall from the field for 55.2 percent, including seven of 23 from three-point range, 30.4 percent. They were 13 of 20 at the line for 65 percent.

BOX SCORE

Moberly: McCoy, 0-0-0--0; Williams, 0-0-0--0; Towns, 4-3-3--20; Smith, 1-0-0--2; Johnson, 10-0-5--25; Leak, 1-0-0--2; Boyd, 9-0-4--22; Saunders, 4-1-1--12; Glover, 1-0-0--2; Hickman, 0-3-0--9; Totals, 30-7-13--94

Wabash Valley: Dunson, 3-0-5--11; Chatt, 5-3-4--23; Holloway, 2-1-1--8; Sanders, 5-1-6--19; Lockett, 3-0-0--6; Landry, 1-0-0--2; Wickware, 1-3-7--18; Oxley, 0-4-0--12; Britt, 1-0-0--2; Totals, 21-12-23--101

Fouled out: Moberly - Johnson

Technical Foul: Moberly - Johnson: Wabash Valley - Chatt, Sanders