Two close contests Saturday, Feb. 15 between the Heart of America’s two schools with Vikings with a mascot both went the way of the hosts Grand View, as Missouri Valley dropped the women’s contest 66-60 while the men well in overtime 82-75.
Neither team led by more than two possessions in the women’s contest, as Missouri Valley and Grand View exchanged the lead 12 times and were tied on 14 occasions. Grand View had their largest lead late in the game when Eva Solseth claimed a defensive rebound off a missed layup by D’Ajha Horton and maxed out the play clock to sink a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining. Ella Larsen claimed seven of her team-high 16 points in the final frame for Grand View, while three other Grand View players were in double figures. Gia Moore led Valley with 21 points, while Horton added 13 points and ten rebounds. Valley claimed 40 rebounds to Grand View’s 30, but turned the ball over 22 times to Grand View’s 12. That led to 17 Grand View points off turnovers, as well as 12 fast break points. Missouri Valley fall to 20-5 overall, including a 16-5 mark in the conference.
The men’s game saw neither squad able to maintain double-digit leads they had built, eventually having to settle the game in overtime. With the game tied at 22 midway through the first half, Valley went on a 12-2 run, led by two three-point baskets from Keenan Jones. Grand View closed Valley’s lead to six by halftime, then tied the game early in the third with a three-point basket from Jackson Green. The hosts would then go on a 14-3 lead to stake a 12-point lead, only for Valley to capitalize on fouls to chip away at the lead. Another Jones basket from behind the arc put Valley back in front with three minutes remaining, but four free throws by Grand View and a missed three-pointer resulted in needing an extra frame. A David Ajanaku layup gave Valley an early lead, but Grand View rattled off eight straight points to take control of the game for good.
Missouri Valley posted nine shots from three-point range to Grand View’s five, but the hosts had 50 percent field accuracy compared to Valley’s 38 percent. Ayden Foster led all scorers with 24 points for Grand View, followed by Jaxson Young with 17 and Jackson Green coming off the bench to score 16. Four Valley starters were in double-figured, led by Keenan Jones’ 18 points and Cawhan Smith with 14.
Valley drop to 11-15 overall, 10-12 in the conference. Both the men’s and women’s teams are at Park University on Wednesday; the women’s game tips off at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m.