Men's Basketball Secures Conference Tournament Berth With Win Over Culver-Stockton

Marshall, Mo., (Feb. 22, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams welcomed in Culver-Stockton (Mo.) inside the Burns Athletic Complex for a Senior Day Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader, Saturday afternoon.  The Viking women's team finished out an 85-78 win, while the men's team earned an 85-75 win to close the regular season.

The men's game began with Missouri Valley going in front early, as Senior Geovonni Floyd (Bowling Green, Ky.) made a pair of free throws, and Senior David Ajanaku (Ondo, Nigeria) made a pair of field goals to give the team a 6-0 advantage with just over one minute played.  Culver-Stockton responded with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to move in front, 7-6.  After a Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.) made free throw tied the teams, Senior Dylan Driver (Covington, Ga.) broke the tie with a jumper just over four minutes into the contest.  Senior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.) followed with a steal and three-point play to stretch the advantage to 12-7, near the 14-minute mark.  The Vikings stayed in front over the next stretch, helped by two-straight possessions that featured a steal by Smith and fast-break basket from Floyd to make it a 16-9 score with seven minutes played.  The Wildcats chipped away at their deficit, and worked it down to 18-16 less than two minutes later.  Driver added to the MVC lead with a steal and fast-break dunk, then Ajanaku made a jump shot to put the score at 22-16 midway through the half.  The two teams traded points over the next several minutes, until another steal from Smith and dunk by Floyd, along with a three-pointer from Senior Jarrius Burnett (Warrenton, Ga.) gave Missouri Valley a double-digit advantage, 33-23, with just over five minutes remaining in the half.  The Wildcats worked back to a 36-32 gap less than two minutes later, then trailed 43-40 in the final minute of the half.  Jones was fouled on a late three-point attempt, and capped scoring in the half on three made free throws to send MVC into halftime on top, 46-40.

The second half began with Culver-Stockton going scoreless through more than four minutes of play.  Missouri Valley was also held to one made field goal during the stretch, coming on a three-pointer from Burnett to help give the team a 52-40 lead.  The Wildcats chipped away at the deficit, and made it a 52-46 score with six minutes played after the break.  Smith came back with five-straight points for MVC, and a Senior J'Luan Patterson (Belleville, Ill.) made layup put the advantage at 59-46 near the 12-minute mark.  The two teams traded points over the next several minutes, with a steal from Smith leading to a Burnett three-pointer and a 69-55 score as the game went under eight minutes to play.  The next made basket for MVC came off another Smith steal, as Ajanaku added to the lead at 73-64 near the five-minute mark with a made field goal.  The Vikings pulled away late in the game, as a dunk from Floyd and a pair of made layups by Jones put the score at 85-70 in the final minute.  Culver-Stockton added points late in the game, but Missouri Valley finished out an 85-75 victory.

Smith led with 17 points to go with seven rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.  Jones added 15 points and four rebounds, while Floyd had 14 points, on 5 of 6 shooting, and five rebounds.  Burnett had 13 points, Ajanaku added 11 points and Driver came off the bench to score 10 points and grab five rebounds.  Missouri Valley held a 36-28 advantage in rebounding and shot 50-percent from the floor.

The win moves the team to 12-16 overall and 11-13 in the Heart to close the regular season.  Culver-Stockton ends its season at 5-23 overall and 5-19 in the conference.

Today's win clinched the No. 8 seed in the Heart Postseason Tournament, and a road quarterfinal game at No. 1 Baker (Kan.), Wednesday at 7 p.m., in Baldwin City, Kan.  The Vikings fell in both games against the Wildcats, on the road, 84-61, on Nov. 13, and at home, 84-68, Jan. 15.

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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.