FAYETTE, MISSOURI – Grand View Women's Basketball picked up a strong road win Saturday afternoon, defeating Central Methodist University 70-50 behind a dominant second quarter from
Ella Larsen and the Vikings' stifling defense. After securing the lead, the Vikings controlled the game and held onto their advantage throughout the second half to claim the twenty-point victory.
Grand View struggled to finish early in the first quarter, allowing the Eagles to keep the score tight.
Anna Gossling took matters into her own hands with a pull-up jumper from the top of the key to ignite the Vikings' scoring. Set in the corner,
Cleao Murray was the next to strike, connecting from deep on the pass from Larsen. Layups from
Ella Larsen, Murray, and
Katie Fogarty pushed Grand View ahead to a comfortable seven-point lead, but back-to-back deep three-point baskets from Central Methodist shrunk the lead to just one with under a minute left in the period. Murray delivered a final layup before the end as the Vikings got ready to pick up the pace headed into the second quarter up 19-16.
Larsen was pivotal in the second quarter for the Vikings, scoring 15 of the team's 18 points in the period. In addition to going three-for-three from three-point range, Larsen also pulled down three boards and drew an impactful charge to shift the momentum back to Grand View. Effort on 50/50 balls and offensive rebounds gave the Vikings the edge needed to gain a strong lead on the Eagles. Freshman guards
Claire Galbraith and
Eva Peterson displayed their hustle, fighting to gain possession of an offensive board on its way out of bounds and converting their efforts into a layup for Larsen. Central Methodist struggled to score on Grand View's solid half-court defense, netting only six points in the quarter. Gossling added a final floater, making the score at the break 37-22 in favor of Grand View. At the half, Larsen led with 17 points and 9 rebounds.
An early block in the third quarter from Larsen, followed by a near 30-second violation for Central Methodist, let the Eagles know that Grand View's defensive pressure wasn't going to let up. Back-to-back layups from point guard
Ellie Rengstorf and a reverse layup from
Eva Solseth stretched the Vikings' lead. With Grand View in full control on both sides of the ball, they maintained their composure through a quick steal and score from Central Methodist, responding with a three-pointer from Solseth on Peterson's pass. Additional contributions came from Murray, Larsen, and Solseth, who each added a layup. Murray rounded out the quarter with a successful and-one layup, making the score 59-34.
In a final effort to regain lost ground, Central Methodist pushed the tempo, giving the Vikings a challenge before taking the victory. The Eagles netted a quick eight points to Grand View's four, on two free throws from
Reagan Mudderman and a fast-break layup response from Gossling. A charge taken by Solseth aimed to shift the momentum to the Vikings, but difficulty finishing at the rim allowed the Eagles to stick to their fast-paced plan. Murray grabbed a strong offensive board to lay in an easy two points, and although two more baskets from Central Methodist looked to shake the Vikings, Grand View maintained their 20-point lead, with help from a three-pointer by Peterson, rounding out the game with a 70-50 final score.
GAME NOTES
- Ella Larsen recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while shooting 3-for-4 from three-point range, dishing out 4 assists, and adding 2 blocks.
- Cleao Murray added an impactful 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block.
- Anna Gossling tacked on 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal.
- Grand View shot 40% (4-for-10) from behind the arc in the first half.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will travel to Dubuque, Iowa, on Wednesday, January 22
nd, for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off against Clarke University.
