DUBUQUE, IOWA - The Grand View women's basketball team took to the road, battling through regulation and overtime to defeat Clarke University 86-77 in an overtime thriller at the Kehl Center.
The Vikings struggled to find their rhythm early, falling behind 15-6 lead midway through the first quarter. The Grand View offense got it going late in the quarter, narrowing their deficit to two.
Eva Peterson provided a spark off the bench with a layup, and Gossling added another bucket to close the quarter as Grand View trailed 20-18 after one.
The second quarter saw Grand View find its offensive flow. Davison hit back-to-back free throws to get the Vikings within one point at 22-23 Ottemann drained a three-pointer assisted by Gossling, then added another assisted by
Lily Smith to push the lead to 36-34. Smith contributed a jump shot, and Gossling was instrumental in the Vikings' surge, scoring eight points in the quarter including two three-pointers. Grand View took a 38-34 advantage into halftime.
Clarke came out aggressive in the third quarter, and Kennedy's jumper cut it to 38-36 early. The teams traded baskets throughout the period in a physical back-and-forth battle.
Ellie Knock converted back-to-back layups to extend Grand View's lead to 53-44, but Clarke refused to fold. The Pride hit a late three-pointer to tie the game at 53-53, but Gossling answered with a clutch three-pointer of her own to give the Vikings a 56-53 edge heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was a defensive grind.
Eva Solseth opened with a layup, and Ottemann added another to push the lead to 60-53. Clarke chipped away, cutting it to 64-58 midway through the period. Galbraith hit two free throws to extend the lead to 68-58, but the Pride mounted a furious comeback. Clarke made a three-pointer to make it 68-64, and then converted a jumper to cut it to 70-66. After Gossling split a pair of free throws, the Pride drove for a layup and converted the free throw to make it 71-69. They tied the game at 71-71 with a layup off a steal with just over a minute remaining, and both teams missed opportunities in the final seconds to send the game to overtime.
Grand View seized control in overtime. Gossling knocked down a three-pointer assisted by Knock to give the Vikings a 74-71 lead. Solseth hit two free throws to extend it to 76-71, and Gossling added two more from the line to push the advantage to 78-71. Kennedy fought to keep Clarke in it with consecutive free throws, but Gossling took over down the stretch. She converted a jump shot to make it 80-73, then added another to push it to 82-75. Gossling calmly sank four more free throws in the final seconds as Grand View closed out the 86-77 victory.
GAME NOTES:
- Anna Gossling put up an impressive game with 36 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, including 13 points in overtime.
- Taryn Ottemann added 12 points and 4 rebounds, going 2-5 from three-point range.
- Amaya Davison contributed 8 points, while Claire Galbraith chipped in 8 points and 6 rebounds.
- Lily Smith provided 6 points off the bench, and Eva Solseth added 8 points.
- Grand View shot 42.4% from the field and 76.7% from the free-throw line.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Vikings will look to build on this momentum in their next contest, playing in St. Lois, Missouri on November 22nd as they take on Missouri Baptist.
