LAMONI, IOWA - The Grand View men's basketball team couldn't overcome a second-half deficit, falling 85-77 to Graceland on the road Wednesday night in a hard fought battle.
Grand View started strong as
Daviyon Gaston drained back-to-back three-pointers, both assisted by
Jaxson Young, to give the Vikings a 6-2 lead. Young added consecutive jumpers to extend the advantage to 10-7, and
Patrick Worrell hit a three-pointer assisted by Young to make it 13-12.
Joe Knutson connected on a three-pointer assisted by Gaston to push the lead to 16-14, and
Lukas Helms scored a layup to extend it to 18-14. After Graceland tied it at 18-18,
James Ogrodnik drained a three-pointer assisted by Helms to give Grand View a 21-19 edge. Helms added consecutive baskets to push the lead to 25-21, and Young scored a layup to make it 27-21. The Vikings maintained control throughout most of the half as Gaston added a jumper to extend the advantage to 29-21. After a Graceland run,
O'Shawn Jones-Winslow hit a three-pointer assisted by Gaston to trail the Yellowjackets 34-33, and Gaston scored a layup assisted by
Frankie Chiodo to pull within three at 35-38. Helms drained a three-pointer assisted by Ogrodnik late in the half, and Grand View trailed 38-42 at halftime.
The second half saw Graceland take control early. Helms scored a layup and Gaston made two free throws to cut it to 42-44. After Graceland extended their lead to 49-42, Worrell hit a three-pointer assisted by Gaston to make it 45-51. Gaston converted a three-point play to pull within three at 48-51, and Helms added a layup to cut it to 50-53. Helms made two free throws to bring Grand View within one at 52-53, but Graceland answered with a run to push the lead back to 59-52. Young made two free throws to cut it to 54-59, and Ogrodnik scored a layup to make it 56-61. Helms converted a three-point play to pull within four at 63-67.
Rodell Davis Jr. hit a jumper to make it 65-71, and Worrell scored a layup to pull within five at 67-72. Ogrodnik added a layup to cut it to 69-74, but Graceland extended their lead back to eight at 77-69. Davis Jr. made two free throws, and Gaston scored consecutive layups in the final seconds, but the Vikings couldn't complete the comeback as Graceland held on for an 85-77 victory.
Despite the loss, the Vikings have put together an outstanding season. Their strong play throughout the year has earned them their first home postseason game for the Heart Conference Tournament since 2022, giving the team and fans something special to look forward to as they prepare for tournament action. The Vikings currently sit at the 3rd spot in the Heart Conference Standings, sitting closely behind William Penn and Graceland.
GAME NOTES:
WHAT'S NEXT?
Grand View falls to 19-8 overall and 14-6 in conference play with the road loss to Graceland. The Vikings regular season is finished, but will be hosting the Heart Quarterfinals in Sisam Arena on Tuesday, February 24th with the opponent determined after all regular season games conclude on the 21st.
Â
