PERU, NEBRASKA – The Grand View Vikings competed in a road battle Wednesday night, but came up short against the Peru State Bobcats, falling 73-64 after a tightly contested first half. 

Jackson Green got things going early with a four-point play after being fouled on a made three-pointer, giving the Vikings an early boost. He and Jaxson Young both converted steals into fast-break layups, showing some early defensive energy. Despite these efforts, Grand View struggled with their shooting throughout the game, allowing the Bobcats to slowly take control. James Ogrodink stepped up off the bench, contributing four points, a defensive rebound, and a block in just over a minute of play, which helped tie the game at 15-15. The remainder of the first half saw both teams exchanging baskets, but Peru State edged the Vikings slightly with timely scoring. Young scored two quick layups to push the Vikings ahead by two, but the Bobcats quickly answered back. Ogrodink hit a three-pointer, assisted by Young, and followed it up with a two-point jumper to again tie the game at 24-24. Ayden Foster and Gavyn Strand added baskets in the final minutes, but Peru State held a 37-32 lead at halftime. Young and Ogrodink led with nine points each, while Green and Foster chipped in six. 

The second half began with a jumper from Foster, cutting the Bobcats' lead to three. However, Peru State responded with a scoring run, widening the gap and forcing the Vikings to play catch-up. Back-to-back layups from Patrick Worrell and Young helped Grand View gain some momentum, but a lengthy scoring drought slowed their comeback efforts. As the Bobcats' lead continued to grow, Young's persistence kept the Vikings alive. He scored multiple layups and converted an and-one opportunity. Despite some in-the-paint baskets from Green and Young, the deficit remained. The Vikings were able to trim the gap to six, but late efforts from Young and Worrell weren't enough to overtake the Bobcats, causing Grand View to fall short, 73-64. 

GAME NOTES 

• Jaxson Young led the Vikings with 21 points, followed by James Ogrodink with 12. 

• Jackson Green led the team with 5 steals, in addition to chipping in 10 points.  

• Patrick Worrell secured a team high 7 rebounds and added 6 points.  

• The Vikings shot 41.7% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2-for-16 (12.5%). 

UP NEXT 

The Vikings return home this Saturday, December 7th, to host Culver-Stockton College at 6:00 p.m.