OLATHE, KANSAS – In the weekend's final match-up of the Uphaus Classic, the Vikings faced their toughest challenge yet to close out the tournament. Grand View put up a strong battle against No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan but would come up short, 79-69. 

In the first half, Grand View University stayed close to Indiana Wesleyan in a competitive back-and-forth game. Jaxson Young led the Vikings early with six points, including a key layup. Indiana Wesleyan's DeeJuan Pruitt kept them in control with strong offensive rebounding, while Luke Brown and Isaac Andrews hit crucial three-pointers to extend their lead. Ayden Foster and Jackson Green kept Grand View in the game with key baskets and rebounds, and at halftime, the Vikings trailed 39-32.

In the second half, Grand View struggled to find their rhythm offensively as Indiana Wesleyan steadily extended their lead. Jaxson Young hit a couple of free throws to keep the Vikings in striking distance, but the Wildcats capitalized on turnovers and missed shots to push their lead to 13 points. Despite solid efforts from Ayden Foster and Patrick Worrell, who each contributed important baskets, Grand View couldn't close the gap. Indiana Wesleyan's DJ Moore and Caedmon Bontrager added multiple scores to widen the margin.

The Vikings fought back with contributions from James Ogrodnik and Isaac Andrews, and Jackson Green hit a three-pointer to bring the score to 49-46. However, a timely three-pointer from Luke Brown extended the Wildcats' lead, and Grand View couldn't recover. Indiana Wesleyan secured a 79-69 victory, with their shooting and defense proving too much for the Vikings in the second half.

GAME NOTES

• Ayden Foster led the team with 14 points, shooting 6-9 from the field and grabbing 6 rebounds.
• Jaxson Young contributed 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in 31 minutes of action.
• Patrick Worrell played a crucial 35 minutes, finishing with 8 points and 4 rebounds.
• Jackson Green added 10 points, including 2 three-pointers, and contributed 2 rebounds.
• Matthew Boldt came off the bench to score 10 points and grab 4 rebounds in 18 minutes.
• Ofek Sirkis chipped in 8 points and 4 rebounds, showing efficiency with 3-5 shooting.

 
UP NEXT
Grand View will resume next time on the hardwood for conference play as they travel to Parkville, MO to take on the Pirates of Park University to open Heart of America play. The men's contest will follow the women for a 7:30 tip on Wednesday November 13^th.