MARSHALL, MO – In their first game back after the Winter break, Grand View Women's Basketball faced off against Missouri Valley College in a tightly contested Viking matchup. After evening the score by halftime, the Vikings were unable to hold onto a late lead and ultimately fell, 74-66.

The action started with Anna Gossling scoring a floater under pressure, followed by a three-point basket from Ella Larsen. Eva Solseth added a left-hand floater of her own before knocking down a corner three-pointer. A dump pass from Gossling to Larsen helped push the Vikings to an early eight-point lead. However, a five-minute scoring drought allowed Missouri Valley to take control and pull ahead. Brianna Fields helped shift the momentum back with a well-taken charge, and soon after, she added a layup off a pass from Larsen. Cleao Murray chipped in another layup before the end of the period. Missouri Valley's transition offense, however, gave them a slight edge, leaving Grand View trailing 18-22 at the end of the first quarter.

Grand View outpaced Missouri Valley in the second quarter, thanks to exceptional free throw shooting and dominance on the glass. Claire Galbraith went 6-for-6 from the line, while Larsen added 4-for-4, contributing to the team's impressive 10-for-12 (83%) success rate. The Vikings also tallied seven additional points off a fast-break layup by Galbraith and a three-pointer and layup from Gossling. These efforts helped the Vikings pull even, as they tied the game at 35-35 going into halftime. Larsen led the team with nine points, while Galbraith had eight, with all her points, three rebounds, and two steals coming in the second quarter.

Missouri Valley was the first to strike in the second half, but Solseth and Larsen quickly responded with timely layups, both with assistance from Ellie Rengstorf. After a jump shot from Murray, another three-minute scoring drought allowed Missouri Valley to build a five-point lead. A layup by Reagan Mudderman, set up by a steal and assist from Galbraith, narrowed the gap to three. Galbraith then added two more layups—one off a steal and another from a Mudderman assist—to keep the Vikings within striking distance, trailing 52-47 at the end of the third quarter.

In the final period, the Vikings fought to regain the lead, with contributions from Murray, Gossling, and Solseth. A trade of baskets, including a three-pointer from Gossling and two free throws from Solseth, put the Vikings up by two points. However, a pair of three-pointers from Missouri Valley gave them back the advantage. With 3:17 left to play, a steal from Gossling led to Murray drawing a foul and sinking two free throws to tie the game at 64-64. Despite their efforts, the Vikings struggled to match Missouri Valley's late-game shooting success and ultimately fell, 74-66.

GAME NOTES

• Balanced contributions saw five Vikings reach double-digit scoring: Anna Gossling (15 pts), Eva Solseth (14 pts), Claire Galbraith (12 pts), Ella Larsen (11 pts), and Cleao Murray (10 pts).
• Grand View relied on strong free throw shooting, going 17-for-19 (89.5%), and limited turnovers (10 turnovers to Missouri Valley's 22) to stay competitive until the final minutes.
• The Vikings struggled from the field, shooting just 32.8% (22-67) overall and 22.7% (5-for-22) from behind the arc.

UP NEXT
Grand View will look to bounce back from the loss this Saturday, January 4^th, at 2:00 p.m. as they host Benedictine College at home.