DES MOINES, IOWA – The Grand View men's basketball team put on an offensive clinic in their game Tuesday night, cruising past Faith Baptist Bible College 105-71 at Sisam Arena on a special evening. "A Night of Good Vibes and Prayer," dedicated to mental health awareness and honoring the memory of Libby Ashworth. To read more about Libby Ashworth, her outlook on life, and how she meant so much around her, read the passage below.
The Vikings came out firing from the opening tip, with
Daviyon Gaston draining a three-pointer assisted by
Jaxson Young to give Grand View an early 3-0 lead.
Carson Bennett followed with another triple assisted by
Lukas Helms, and the Vikings never looked back.
Joe Knutson added a layup, and Gaston hit a jumper to push the lead to 10-3. Bennett caught fire early, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to extend the advantage to 15-3. Young got into a rhythm attacking the basket, scoring on a fastbreak layup that marked a major milestone — his 1,000th career point as a Viking. Young followed with another fastbreak layup and converted a three-point play to make it 20-7. The Vikings' balanced attack continued as
Rodell Davis Jr. came off the bench and drained a pair of three-pointers, helping Grand View build a commanding 35-10 lead. Bennett added two more triples late in the half, and
O'Shawn Jones-Winslow capped the period with a fastbreak layup as the Vikings took a dominant 56-30 lead into halftime.
Grand View continued to pour it in to begin the second half, shooting 48.6% from the field. Young converted a three-point play early to push the lead to 59-35, and Bennett added a fastbreak layup assisted by Helms to extend the advantage to 63-38. The Vikings' depth shone through as multiple players contributed.
James Ogrodnik threw down a dunk assisted by Young to make it 72-44, and
Patrick Worrell knocked down a three-pointer to push the lead to 75-46.
Luke Hart provided a spark with a three-point play, converting a layup and free throw to make it 80-48. The Vikings' reserves continued to dominate as
Matthew Watters scored in the paint, and Hart hit a three-pointer assisted by
Matthew Boldt to extend the lead to 88-51. The bench mob kept rolling as
Brody Ingold drained a three-pointer, and
Frankie Chiodo added back-to-back triples in the closing minutes. Chiodo hit his third three-pointer of the game at the buzzer to cap the 34-point victory, closing the game 105-71.
GAME NOTES:
- Jaxson Young led the Vikings with 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting, reaching the 1,000-point milestone for his career with his first basket of the game. Young also added 2 steals and 4 rebounds in the milestone performance.
- Carson Bennett contributed 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting, hitting 4-of-7 three-pointers.
- Daviyon Gaston added 12 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds, while Rodell Davis Jr. chipped in 9 points, going 3-of-3 from three-point range.
- Frankie Chiodo led the bench with 9 points on three three-pointers, and Luke Hart added 6 points off the bench.
- Grand View shot an impressive 57.4% from the field and 46.9% from three-point range, connecting on 15 triples.
- Grand View forced 18 turnovers and converted them into 32 points, outscoring Faith Baptist Bible 44-24 in points in the paint
WHATS NEXT?
Grand View returns home for their first conference match up of the year against Culver-Stockton College, on Saturday, November 15th.
A Night of Good Vibes and Prayer
Monday night's game was more than just a basketball contest — it was an evening dedicated to mental health awareness and honoring the memory of Libby Ashworth, a cherished member of the Grand View Dance Team. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Ashworth family and campus mental health organizations.
Libby Ashworth faced colon cancer with incredible courage and passed away peacefully on January 4, 2025.
In November of 2020, Libby was diagnosed with colon cancer — a moment that changed her life forever, and ours as well.
From that day forward, we witnessed a strength that never wavered. She never stopped fighting. Through every challenge, she stayed positive, lifted our spirits, and kept our family strong.
Libby would always strive to be healthy throughout the year. But around this time each year, she would start getting sick again. She spent many of her holidays — especially Christmas — in the hospital during those first three years.
But even then, Libby never let her illness steal her joy. She still did everything she could to make the holidays special for all of us. She was determined to make those moments happy — to bring laughter, to share love, and to remind us what truly matters: family and faith.
Throughout the years, Libby became an inspiration to so many — to others who were sick, to children fighting their own battles, and to people all over the world. Letters, messages, and Snapchats poured in from near and far.
Libby loved sharing her journey through TikTok — posting updates, dancing, and sometimes even sharing a dance or two with her mom or dad. She brought joy to everyone who watched her, and her courage reminded people everywhere to keep fighting and to keep smiling.
But what truly kept Libby going was her love for God. Her faith gave her peace, strength, and purpose. She had a closeness with God that inspired all of us to grow closer, too. Even through her hardest days, she made sure we were going to church. She read her Bible every day. And she knew, deep in her heart, that when she passed, she would be greeted by God — and she wanted us to know that she was going to be okay.
Libby was also surrounded by an incredible dance family — teammates, friends, coaches, even people who didn't know her personally but were moved by her spirit. The support she received from her team, from her coaches, from Grand View's president, from Lori — it all meant so much. They showed her that she was never alone.
And tonight shows that too. Tonight shows how important Libby was — how deeply she touched the lives of everyone who knew her, and even those who didn't.
Libby's journey was not for nothing. Her legacy will live on through every life she inspired, every heart she touched, and every memory she left behind.
Her journey will never end — no matter what.
