DES MOINES, IOWA – The Grand View women's basketball team defeated Central Methodist 57-44 on Friday afternoon in a dominant Heart of America Conference victory at Dave Sisam Arena.
Grand View took control early in the first quarter, jumping out to a commanding lead. Ellie Knock opened the scoring with a layup to give the Vikings a 2-0 advantage. Central Methodist answered with a three-pointer to take a brief 3-2 lead, but it would be their only lead of the game. Anna Gossling hit a jumper assisted by Claire Galbraith to put Grand View back ahead 4-3. Eva Solseth added a layup assisted by Knock, and Amaya Davison scored on a fast-break layup to extend the lead to 8-3. Galbraith knocked down a three-pointer assisted by Solseth to push it to 11-3, and Knock added another three-pointer assisted by Solseth to make it 14-3. Lily Smith capped the Vikings' dominant quarter with a layup assisted by Gossling and a jumper assisted by Galbraith to give Grand View an 18-7 advantage after one quarter.
The second quarter saw Grand View extend their lead with efficient shooting and strong ball movement. Taryn Ottemann came off the bench and made an immediate impact with a layup assisted by Solseth to push the lead to 20-7. Davison knocked down a three-pointer assisted by Galbraith to make it 23-7. Ottemann added another layup assisted by Solseth, and Davison converted a free throw to extend it to 26-9. Davison continued her strong play with another layup to make it 28-11, and Solseth scored a layup assisted by Davison to push the advantage to 30-11. Galbraith hit her second three-pointer of the game, this time assisted by Davison, to make it 33-13. Knock capped the quarter with a layup to give Grand View their largest lead of 22 points at 35-13. The Vikings' defense clamped down, limiting Central Methodist's opportunities and taking a commanding 35-17 lead at halftime.
Central Methodist fought back in the third quarter with their best offensive performance of the game, but Grand View maintained control. The Eagles opened the quarter with a three-pointer to cut it to 35-20, but Knock responded with a three-pointer assisted by Galbraith to push it back to 38-22. Knock converted two free throws to extend the lead to 40-24, then added another three-pointer assisted by Solseth to make it 43-24. Knock continued her dominant quarter with a jumper assisted by Davison to give Grand View a 45-26 advantage. Gossling added a layup assisted by Davison, and Davison closed the quarter with a layup to help the Vikings maintain a 49-33 lead heading into the final quarter despite Central Methodist's improved offensive output.
The fourth quarter saw both teams struggle offensively as the game slowed down. Knock opened the quarter with a layup assisted by Galbraith to push the lead to 51-33. Solseth converted a free throw to make it 52-35, and Gossling hit two technical free throws to extend it to 54-39. Davison added a layup assisted by Gossling to make it 56-41, then converted a free throw in the final minute to seal the 57-44 victory. Grand View's defense remained stout throughout the quarter, with Knock recording two blocked shots and the Vikings forcing multiple turnovers to keep the Eagles at a safe distance and close out the win. The Vikings remained undefeated in conference play with the convincing home victory.
GAME NOTES:
- Ellie Knock led the Vikings with 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, and added 11 rebounds for a double-double.
- Amaya Davison contributed 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting and added 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
- Anna Gossling chipped in 6 points and 5 rebounds, while Claire Galbraith added 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
- Eva Solseth contributed 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in a well-rounded performance.
- Grand View shot 40.7% from the field and 30.0% from three-point range, held a 36-27 rebounding advantage, and forced 21 turnovers while committing just 16.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Grand View will travel to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO next Saturday Janurary 10th.
