DES MOINES, IOWA – Grand View men's basketball welcomed the Wildcats of Culver-Stockton College to Sisam Arena Saturday afternoon for the regular season head-to-head finale between the two. The Vikings moved their win streak to two following a second half-thriller that gave them their tenth conference win by a score of 92-87.
Grand View and Culver-Stockton had a close game in the first half, with both teams trading baskets early on. Grand View took the lead with a layup by
Noah Hart. Culver-Stockton had a great shooting performance, with shots falling from all over the floor, shooting an impressive 52.8% from the field and a remarkable 61% from three. Despite this, Grand View showed great composure and kept themselves within reach of the Wildcats, even after they went on a run. Just when Culver-Stockton seemed to have a breakthrough and hit a double-digit lead, Grand View responded with a three-pointer by Hart, bringing them closer. Grand View found themselves down by only one point with less than four minutes remaining in the first half. However, three straight, well-contested three-pointers from Whitaker would grow the Culver-Stockton lead, and they headed to the locker room leading 52-45.
GVU went on a 14-0 run during the second half, leaving the Wildcats scoreless for nearly seven minutes.
Noah Hart played well on both offense and defense, getting a steal that led to a Hood layup and scoring himself on the following possession.
Jaxson Young also performed well in the second half, getting some finishes in the paint when scoring was difficult. After a media timeout, the Wildcats returned with renewed vigor, hitting a three-pointer to take a five-point lead over GVU with two minutes left. Culver-Stockton split a pair of free throws, keeping the game within reach.
Jaxson Young scored a backdoor layup, assisted by Koontz, bringing the team to a one-point deficit with plenty of time left in the contest. The Wildcats made a costly turnover, which the Vikings capitalized on during the following possession. Young hit a mid-range jumper, giving Grand View a one-point advantage with twenty seconds remaining. CSC tried to find a lane as time expired, but
Connor Robertson stripped the Wildcats of their hopes of controlling the lead, making two steals and four straight free throws to seal the gritty win in favor of Grand View.
GAME NOTES:
- Noah Hart scored 20 points for the Vikings in 35 minutes; he was 8-14 from the field and 4-9 from three. He pulled down 6 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
- Grand View split the series with Culver on Saturday, February 10th.
- Two Vikings recorded double-doubles, Jaxson Young finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jacob Koontz tallied 14 points and 10 boards.
- Grand View produced six steals, two that clinched the game late in the second half.
- GVU doubled points in the lane of those from the Wildcats, 40-22.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Vikings will hit the road next week, with their first stop in Dubuque, IA, for a meeting against the Pride. The game will tip off in Kehl Center at 7:30 PM.
