Both Missouri Valley Viking basketball teams were trailing Benedictine at the half Thrusday, Feb. 13, but the women were quickly able to overtake the Ravens in the third quarter to sail away with a 62-54 win at Courtwarming in the Burns Athletic Center, while the men couldn’t overcome Benedictine’s better than 60 percent shooting in a 87-82 loss.
The Viking women held a two-point lead after one quarter, but then fell behind late in the second quarter when Benedictine went on a 10-2 run. Gia Moore’s jump shot just before the buzzer gave Valley some momentum as they went into the locker room. The Vikings kept Benedictine to just seven points in the third quarter, as the Ravens shot just 23 percent from the field in the term, and failed to convert a three-point shot attempt after the half. MoValley maintained their five-point lead through much of the fourth quarter, and went five-for-six from the foul line in the last minute to secure the win.
Noa Fernandez led the Vikings with 18 points, while Rajone Callahan added 17 and Ylenia Exposito chipped in 11, as Missouri Valley improved to 20-5 overall, 16-5 in the conference. Lauryn Dubbert and Jennifer Jacobs both had 14 points to lead Benedictine.
In the men’s contest, MoValley picked up the first three points on a Keenan Jones jump shot, but Benedictine responded in kind 20 seconds later. They only allowed the Vikings to lead once more in the contest, as the Ravens kept a firm grasp on the lead and fended off a comeback effort in an 87-82 loss for Missouri Valley. A nine-point run in the first half set the pace for Benedictine, as the Vikings found themselves in a hole they kept trying to dig out of. The Vikings trailed by as much as 16 points, before Valley halved that lead to provide some optimism. A pair of Geovonni Floyd dunks in the second half, along with another three-point jumper by Jones and layup from David Ajanaku, got the Vikings to within two, but even after a pair of eight-point runs, the Vikings could not close the gap.
The Vikings had five players in double figures, with Cawhan Smith leading the way with 18 points and Dylan Driver coming off the bench to add 17, including going seven-for-seven from the free throw line. Keenan Jones was three-for-six from three-point range to add 15 points. Benedictine was methodical with their shots, going 65 percent from the field in the game. Jack Vander Woude paced the Ravens with 24 points, all of his points from beyond the arc. Two other Ravens were in double figures. Unable to overcome Benedictine’s strong shooting on the night, the Vikings fell to 11-14 overall, 10-11 in the Heart.
Both Viking squads travel to Des Moines on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader at Grand View. The women tip off at 2 p.m., with the men following around 4 p.m.