Men's Basketball Falls on the Road at Central Methodist

Fayette, Mo., (Nov. 26, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Fayette, Mo., for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Central Methodist (Mo.), Tuesday evening.  The Vikings women's team finished out a 72-63 win, while the men's team dropped a high-scoring contest, 92-82.

The men's game started with the two teams trading points through the opening minutes of play.  Two made free throws from Senior J'Luan Patterson (Belleville, Ill.) and field goals from both Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.) and Senior Jace Lance (Marshall, Mo.) kept Missouri Valley in a 9-6 deficit with just over three minutes played.  Central Methodist began to increase its lead over the next stretch, out to a 21-8 score near the 13-minute mark.  Senior David Ajanaku (Ondo, Nigeria) ended the MVC drought with a three-point play, while one free throw from Senior Geovonni Floyd (Bowling Green, Ky.) and a basket from Patterson cut the deficit to 21-14 one minute later.  Lance sank a three-pointer midway through the quarter to cap a 9-0 run, and make it a 21-17 score.  Senior Jarrius Burnett (Warrenton, Ga.) followed moments later with another three-pointer, and the gap was cut to 23-20.  The Eagles gradually increased their lead once again, to sit at 32-24, with seven minutes remaining in the half.  Missouri Valley kept CMU scoreless over the next three minutes, and used a basket from Senior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.), a three-pointer from Burnett and a field goal from Patterson to close the deficit down to 32-31 with less than five minutes to play before the break.  A pair of made free throws from both Ajanaku and Smith moved the Vikings in front for the first time in the contest, 35-34, at the three-minute mark.  The two teams traded points as the half came to a close.  Burnett made two free throw attempts, Lance sank a basket, and a late Floyd free throw capped scoring and sent MVC into halftime ahead, 40-38.

Missouri Valley used its first field goal of the second half, from Burnett with nearly two minutes played, to tie the score at 43-43.  Central Methodist followed with seven-straight points over the next two minutes, to move in front, 50-43.  Ajanaku responded with an offensive rebound and put-back, while Burnett added an offensive rebound and field goal moments later to cut the deficit to 52-49.  Senior Jimmy Sorunke (Rockville, Md.) chipped in with a basket near the 14-minute mark to keep the Vikings within a 54-51 score.  Floyd followed with a three-point play, and Lance added a basket as the teams traded points.  Midway through the half, Jones added a basket, while a Floyd steal led to another made field goal from Jones to put the teams in a 65-65 tie.  Another steal, this time from Smith, one minute later led to a field goal from Junior Alan Davis, Jr. (Sacramento, Calif.), and Missouri Valley reclaimed the lead at 69-68.  Three more points for Davis, Jr., coming from the free throw line, kept MVC on top, 74-73, with less than seven minutes to play.  Central Methodist countered with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes, and moved ahead, 80-74.  Lance ended the Viking drought with two made free throws, but the team still trailed, 82-76, near the three-minute mark.  The Viking deficit grew from there, and eventually reached double-digits again, at 88-78, in the final minute of play.  Jones added four points late in the contest, but Missouri Valley fell by a final score of 92-82.

Five Vikings scored in double-figures, led by 14 points and six rebounds from Burnett.  Lance and Jones each had 13 points.  Smith added 10 points and five steals, while Davis, Jr., came off the bench to score 10 points.  Missouri Valley totaled 15 rebounds and came up with seven steals.

The loss drops the Vikings to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the Heart.  Central Methodist improves to 6-3 on the season and 3-2 in the conference.

Up next, the men's basketball team travels to Columbia, Mo., for a non-conference game against Columbia (Mo.), Saturday at 2 p.m.  Both teams will be in action Dec. 4, hosting MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) in a Heart doubleheader.  Women's game at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 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.