ATCHISON, KANSAS – In the Heart Conference Network Game of the Week, Grand View Women's Basketball traveled to Benedictine College in a battle for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Heart of America Conference Tournament. The contest remained tight, but the offensive trio of Anna Gossling, Cleao Murray, and Ella Larsen—who combined for 52 of the Vikings' 59 points—proved unstoppable. Coupled with a lockdown defensive effort that held the Ravens to just 9 points in the final quarter, Grand View secured the 59-47 victory.

Energy was evident from the opening minutes, as Grand View struck first with a layup from Anna Gossling off a pass from Ella Larsen. Cleao Murray made an early impact defensively with a statement block, but Benedictine answered with a three-pointer, quickly countered by Larsen from beyond the arc. Despite another layup from Larsen, the Ravens edged ahead. With a minute left in the quarter, Gossling drilled a three with a defender in her face, then converted a fast-break layup to pull the Vikings within one. An intense defensive battle led to a flurry of turnovers, with both teams collecting four steals. Grand View trailed 14-15 after the first.

Grand View kept pace with Benedictine early in the second quarter, as Claire Galbraith knocked down a three and Anna Gossling added another layup to keep the score even. Larsen muscled in a layup through contact to give the Vikings the lead, but the Ravens responded with a shot clock-beating jumper. A strong offensive push followed, highlighted by Gossling draining a three and a jumper, Murray converting a put-back layup, and Eva Solseth finishing inside after Larsen secured an offensive board. Benedictine answered with an and-one layup and a three-pointer, but it wasn't enough to erase Grand View's slight edge. The Vikings took a 31-27 lead into halftime, with Gossling and Larsen combining for 24 of the team's 31 points—Gossling leading with 15 and Larsen adding 9.

Other than a quick layup from the Ravens, the opening minutes of the third quarter saw both teams struggling to regain their rhythm from the field. A spark came when Cleao Murray knocked down a three off a pass from Ella Larsen, but Benedictine answered with one of their own. Looking to attack inside, Larsen powered through for a layup, then set up Murray for another finish at the rim. The Ravens put together a brief run, but Murray had the answer, scoring a pair of layups and sinking two free throws to extend Grand View's lead to 44-38 heading into the final quarter.

With the win in sight, the Vikings came out firing in the fourth quarter, sparked by a Gossling layup and a Murray three-pointer that forced a Benedictine timeout. The short break did little to slow Grand View's momentum, as Gossling drilled a clutch three out of the huddle. The Ravens attempted a late push with a three of their own, but Larsen responded off a pass from Solseth, extending the lead to 11. The Vikings continued to build on their advantage down the stretch, sealing the 59-47 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Anna Gossling led all scorers with 20 points, shooting 3-for-5 from deep, while pulling down 8 rebounds.
• Cleao Murray filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.
• Ella Larsen notched her 10th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• Gossling, Murray, and Larsen combined for 52 of Grand View's 59 points.
• The Vikings outshot the Ravens, posting a 36.2% field goal percentage and 29.8% from beyond the arc.
• Grand View locked down defensively in the fourth quarter, holding Benedictine to under 9 points.

UP NEXT
The Vikings will begin Heart of America Conference Tournament action this coming Tuesday, February 25^th at 5:00 PM. Grand View claims the No. 2 seed and will face Culver-Stockton College at home.