Men's Basketball Rallies Late to Defeat Peru State

Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 23, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted Peru State (Neb.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The women's team pulled away for an 82-63 victory, while the men's team rallied late to secure a 76-70 win.

Missouri Valley went in front early in the men's game, as Senior Jarrius Burnett (Warrenton, Ga.) scored five points, and Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.) added a jump shot to put the team on top, 7-4, with two minutes played in the first half.  The Vikings went nearly four minutes without a field goal, but baskets from Senior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.) and Senior David Ajanaku (Ondo, Nigeria) kept the team in front, 12-7, just past the 14-minute mark.  Ajanaku added a three-point play moments later, and MVC maintained a 15-9 lead after eight minutes had come off the clock.  Senior Geovonni Floyd (Bowling Green, Ky.) added a three-pointer, and Jones put in another layup to make it a 20-11 score midway through the half.  The lead continued to grow over the next several minutes, as Senior J'Luan Patterson (Belleville, Ill.) made a layup and Burnett sank a three-pointer to give the Vikings their largest lead, 27-13, at the six-minute mark.  Peru State gradually worked down its deficit over the next four minutes, trailing, 32-26.  Burnett responded with a field goal, but the Bobcats scored the final five points of the half, and MVC went into halftime in front, 34-31.

Peru State came out to start the second half, and eventually claimed a lead, 39-37, with nearly four minutes played.  Patterson came up with a steal and fast-break dunk to tie the teams, but the Bobcats continued to go back on top over the next stretch of play.  The Vikings went scoreless over a more than three minute stretch, with a pair of Jones free throws ending the drought near the 11-minute mark to cut the deficit down to 50-46.  Junior Alan Davis, Jr., (Sacramento, Calif.) came through with a dunk, to make it a 50-48 score, but PSC eventually held a 59-51 advantage with just under seven minutes to play.  Jones made a pair of free throws, and Patterson added a three-point play over the next minute to shrink the gap down to 60-58.  Patterson made two free throws, and Burnett put in a layup to send MVC in front, 62-60, with under five minutes remaining.  The two teams traded points until a three-pointer from Senior Jace Lance (Marshall, Mo.) gave the Vikings a 69-66 lead in the final two minutes.  Floyd added a layup, followed by a steal from Smith that led to a Burnett three-pointer to stretch the advantage to 74-68 in the closing moments.  Two late Smith free throws secured the win for the Vikings, 76-70.

Lance led with 16 points and added eight assists.  Burnett totaled 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jones scored 13 points.  Patterson came through with 11 points, and Smith had nine points, seven rebounds and six steals.  Missouri Valley forced 17 turnovers in the game, and held a 15-7 assist-to-turnover ratio in the game.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the Heart.  Peru State drops to 7-1 on the season and 3-1 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's and women's basketball teams travel to Fayette, Mo., for a Heart doubleheader against Central Methodist (Mo.), Tuesday evening.  Women's game at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m.

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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.