The Baker University men’s basketball team won its third straight contest after defeating Missouri Valley College 62-56 Saturday in Marshall, Mo.

The win put the Wildcats over .500 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference for the first time this season as it improved their record to 13-8 overall and 6-5 in conference play.

BU continued to turn up the intensity on defense by forcing 18 turnovers and holding its opponent to 60 points or less for the fourth time in the last five games.

Baker’s defensive pressure and hot shooting from the perimeter created a 38-27 advantage at halftime.

After knocking down 14 3-pointers Thursday against Avila University, Baker continued shooting it at a high percentage from long distance in the first half by hitting six of 10 3-pointers.

The Wildcats’ success from behind the arc did not carry over into the second half as they only made one of their 10 attempts after halftime. The one 3-pointer came at an opportune time, though, as the Vikings cut the Wildcats’ lead to 49-46 with 3:20 remaining when Corey Anderson dialed one up from long distance.

Anderson’s 3-pointer to push the lead back to six and the Vikings were not able to make it a one-possession game for the remainder of the contest.

Senior Ben Steinlage led the Wildcats with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Todd Eils and Anderson followed close behind with 10 points apiece.

The ‘Cats will be back in action Thursday when they take on Graceland University in Collins Center. The Wildcats defeated the Yellowjackets 63-58 in this season’s previous matchup in Lamoni. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.