ATCHISON, KS – Grand View Women's Basketball faced its toughest test of the postseason on Saturday, traveling to Benedictine College for the Heart of America Conference Semifinal. Benedictine's sharpshooting and relentless offensive execution proved to be too much in this contest, as the Ravens pulled away for a 70-46 victory to advance to the conference championship.
Grand View came out swinging in the opening quarter. Eva Solseth drilled a three-pointer off a Claire Galbraith assist just over a minute in to give the Vikings the first lead of the game, and Anna Gossling followed with her own triple to push it to 6-5. The Ravens' Kelli Storck scored five of their points in a pivotal mid-quarter run, and Riley Bruggeman added a three-pointer to swing the momentum decidedly in Benedictine's favor. By the time the buzzer sounded, the host Ravens held an 18-15 edge.
The second quarter started with a Benedictine 6-0 run to push the lead to double digits early. Turnovers proved to be Grand View's biggest enemy. Bruggeman was a nightmare, recording multiple steals and keeping the Vikings' offense off-rhythm throughout the frame. Makayla Baughman and Oen Deters provided a combined 10 points in the period, and by the half, Benedictine had stretched its lead to 45-21. The Ravens shot a blistering 57.9 percent from the field in the quarter, while Grand View managed just three field goals on 14 attempts.
The Vikings showed heart in the third quarter, refusing to simply fold under a 24-point deficit. Lily Smith scored back-to-back baskets inside, and Hannah Hartley converted off a Galbraith assist to trim the lead. Amaya Davison, who would finish as Grand View's leading scorer with 22 points, continued to attack and draw fouls. Taryn Ottemann drilled a late three-pointer off a Davison dish with under two minutes to play, providing one of the game's brightest moments for the Vikings. Benedictine answered every run, with Storck, Kyla Fitzgerald, and Hattie Gros combining to keep the Ravens comfortably ahead. Grand View outscored Benedictine 12-11 in the period but could not generate the kind of sustained burst needed to make it a game, heading to the fourth trailing 56-33.
Grand View opened the fourth with a flicker of hope. Ottemann nailed a three-pointer, Smith added another triple, and suddenly the Vikings had ripped off nine straight points to cut the deficit to 20. The Ravens steadied themselves, got back to their halfcourt offense, and iced the game with back-to-back buckets from Macie Eidson and Deters in the final minutes. Ottemann's final basket with seconds remaining closed the score at 70-46, but by then the outcome had long been decided. Benedictine advances to the conference championship while Grand View's season comes to an end.
GAME NOTES
UP NEXT
Grand View will await the announcement of the NAIA National Tournament at-large bids. The Vikings' resume, highlighted by a strong regular season and a Heart of America Conference tournament appearance, will be evaluated as the selection committee reveals the bracket later this week.
