Men's Basketball Starts Season With Road Win Over Hannibal-LaGrange

Hannibal, Mo., (Nov. 1, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's basketball program started its 2024-25 season with a road non-conference game in Hannibal, Mo., against Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.), Friday evening.  The Vikings built up a lead in the first half and earned a 77-64 victory.

The two teams traded points at the start of the contest, as Senior Jace Lance (Marshall, Mo.) opened scoring with a field goal, and was followed by a three-pointer from Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.).  Senior Jarrius Burnett (Warrenton, Ga.) scored the next five points for MVC, and the team sat in front, 10-8, with just over four minutes off the clock.  Hannibal-LaGrange briefly went ahead on a three-pointer moments later, but Burnett answered with a jumper to make it a 12-11 score just past the 14-minute mark.  The Burnett basket started a 13-0 run for MVC, as Senior J'Luan Patterson (Belleville, Ill.) made a pair of free throws, Junior Alan Davis, Jr. (Sacramento, Calif.), and Jones each sank jumpers, Senior Dylan Driver (Covington, Ga.) added a three-point play and Senior David Ajanaku (Ondo, Nigeria) capped the run with a basket to make it a 23-11 advantage for the Vikings midway through the half.  The teams again traded baskets over the next stretch of play, as both Ajanaku and Burnett made field goals to keep MVC on top, 27-18 with under six minutes to play until the break.  Patterson extended the lead back to double-digits on a three-pointer moments later, but HLGU worked its deficit down to 30-22 with less than four minutes remaining.  Another Patterson three-point shot, and two made free throws from Driver put the score at 35-24 in the closing minute.  The Vikings used final baskets from Burnett and Patterson to close out the first half, and hold a 39-25 lead going into the break.

Play in the second half started with five-straight points for Missouri Valley, coming off a three-pointer from Jones and a pair of free throws by Burnett to put the advantage at 44-25 with less than two minutes off the clock.  The Trojans answered by outscoring MVC on a 7-0 margin over the next three minutes to cut the gap down to 44-32.  Senior Geovonni Floyd (Bowling Green, Ky.) ended the Viking drought moments later with a layup, followed by a three-pointer from Burnett.  Floyd added two made free throws to pull off an 8-0 run, and make it a 52-32 score at the 14-minute mark.  Hannibal-LaGrange again worked down its deficit, to 55-43 over the next six minutes of play.  Burnett responded with a three-pointer, but HLGU came back to trail by single digits, 58-49, with under six minutes remaining in the game.  Burnett again responded with a basket, pushing the MVC lead back to double-digits, 60-49, at the five-minute mark.  The teams traded points from there, as Burnett put down a dunk, Senior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.) tacked on a pair of free throws, and Burnett made a three-pointer with two minutes remaining to put the score at 67-53.  Smith scored the next six points for the Vikings, including four made free throws, while Lance made another two attempts from the free throw line late in the game.  Patterson closed out the contest with a dunk in the final seconds to seal a 77-64 win.

Burnett led with 26 points on 10 of 18 shooting.  Patterson came off the bench to score 12 points.  Lance led with six assists, to go with five points.  Missouri Valley shot over 56-percent from the field, and finished 16 of 18 from the free throw line.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 1-0 on the season, while Hannibal-LaGrange drops to 0-1.

Up next, the Vikings go to St. Louis, Mo., for a non-conference game against Health Sciences and Pharmacy (Mo.), Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.