Men's Basketball Holds Off Park in Home Win

Marshall, Mo., (Jan. 8, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams welcomed in Park (Mo.) for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The women's team led throughout in an 80-55 victory, while the men's team earned a 76-61 win to complete the doubleheader sweep.

The two teams traded points to open play in the men's game.  Senior Jarrius Burnett (Warrenton, Ga.) scored seven early points for the Vikings, followed by one free throw from Senior David Ajanaku (Ondo, Nigeria) to keep the team tied at 8-8 with just over four minutes off the clock.  Park scored four-straight points to go on top, 12-8, but a three-pointer from Junior Maurice Walker II (Denver, Colo.), and a jumper from Senior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.) sent MVC on top, 13-12, just past the 14-minute mark.  Park briefly moved ahead, 15-13, but the Vikings kept PU scoreless over a nearly four-minute stretch of play.  Burnett and Senior Geovonni Floyd (Bowling Green, Ky.) each added a field goal, and the stretch of play was capped on a three-pointer from Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.) to give Missouri Valley a 20-15 lead midway through the half.  One basket from Freshman James Porter (St. Louis, Mo.), and another three-point shot from Jones stretched the advantage out to 25-17 with just over eight minutes to play in the half.  The Pirates cut down their deficit, to 28-25, four minutes later.  Floyd answered with a layup, and a steal from Jones led to a three-pointer made by Senior Dylan Driver (Covington, Ga.) to make it a 33-25 score near the three-minute mark.  The advantage hit double-digits on a layup from Junior Alan Davis, Jr. (Sacramento, Calif.), at 35-25, late in the half.  Late three-point shots from both Smith and Jones capped scoring for MVC, and sent the game into halftime at 41-29.

Missouri Valley gradually added to its lead early in the second half, helped by four points from both Burnett and Ajanaku, along with a three-pointer from Jones, to make it a 52-37 score with five minutes off the clock.  Park tried to work back into the game, and cut the gap down to 54-44 just over two minutes later.  The Viking advantage eventually was worked down to single-digits, 56-48, midway through the half.  A three-pointer by Walker II, and a jumper from Porter gave MVC a double-digit lead once again, at 63-50, with less than eight minutes remaining in the game.  Porter added a three-point play moments later, and a Burnett layup made it a 68-52 score at the six-minute mark.  Park got to within a 68-56 deficit in the final five minutes of play, but four points from Smith and an Ajanaku layup stretched the Missouri Valley lead out to 74-57 with under three minutes left on the clock.  The Vikings closed out the game from there, and earned a 76-61 win.

Jones led with 17 points and added six rebounds.  Burnett had 15 points and four rebounds, while Smith totaled 11 points, seven assists and four rebounds.  Porter came off the bench to score nine points.  Missouri Valley held Park to 32-percent shooting from the floor and blocked five shots in the game.

Missouri Valley improves to 5-10 on the season and 4-7 in the Heart.  Park falls to 8-8 overall and 7-5 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams host Graceland (Iowa) in a Heart doubleheader, Saturday afternoon.  Women's game starts at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game at 4 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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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.