Men's Basketball Leads Throughout in Win at William Penn

Oskaloosa, Iowa, (Jan. 22, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Oskaloosa, Iowa, Wednesday evening, for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against William Penn (Iowa).  The women's team pulled away in the second half for a 64-42 win.  The men's team led throughout and earned an 87-82 victory.

The men's game started with Missouri Valley going in front early, after five points from Senior David Ajanaku (Ondo, Nigeria) with just over one minute played.  The early MVC run was continued on a three-pointer from Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.) and another layup from Ajanaku, as the advantage stretched to 10-2 with three minutes off the clock.  The lead reached double-digits for the first time as Jones added the next five points for the Vikings, and made it a 15-4 score just past the 15-minute mark.  A block from Junior Alan Davis, Jr. (Sacramento, Calif.), led to a layup from Jones, and Ajanaku kept MVC on top by double-digits, at 19-8, on a layup with just over seven minutes off the clock.  After the Statesmen worked back to a single-digit deficit, two-straight three-pointers from Jones sent the advantage out to 25-10 near the 11-minute mark.  Missouri Valley continued to increase the gap through the midway point of the half, after two made free throws from Ajanaku, a fast-break dunk from Senior Geovonni Floyd (Bowling Green, Ky.), off a steal from Freshman James Porter (St. Louis, Mo.), and four points added by Senior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.) to make it 33-16 with eight minutes to play in the half.  William Penn chipped away at its deficit over the next six minutes, and trailed, 38-33.  Floyd ended the WPU run with a layup moments later, and a pair of free throws from Senior Jarrius Burnett (Warrrenton, Ga.) put the advantage at 42-35, near the final minute of play.  The Statesmen added the final basket of the half, and Missouri Valley went into halftime on top, 42-37.

Play in the second half began with William Penn held scoreless through more than three minutes of play.  Missouri Valley took advantage with a basket from Ajanaku and four points coming from Burnett to help make it a double-digit lead again, 48-37.  Three made free throws by Jones made it a 53-39 score near the 15-minute mark.  Jones added another three-pointer three minutes later, and Floyd tacked on a pair of free throws in the following moments to put the advantage at 60-44.  Burnett added a layup and a Smith steal led to a fast-break layup from Senior Dylan Driver (Covington, Ga.) to put the score at 64-47 near the midway point of the half.  The Statesmen responded with a 7-0 run, and kept MVC scoreless through a three-minute stretch to cut the deficit down to 64-54.  Porter ended the drought with a pair of free throws, while Burnett and Smith both made three-point shots to stretch the lead out to 72-57 with six minutes to play.  A three-point play from Jones, nearly two minutes later, allowed the Vikings to sit with a 77-63 advantage.  William Penn chipped away at the gap over the next stretch, eventually trailing, 80-73, with less than one minute remaining.  Ajanaku made one free throw, and Burnett added a pair from the free throw line to make it an 83-73 score.  Late free throws made by Jones and Smith held off any late WPU rally, and Missouri Valley closed out an 87-82 win.

Jones led with 27 points, while Ajanaku recorded the first double-double of his career, totaling 18 points and 11 rebounds, both career-highs.  Smith added 14 points and six assists, and Burnett had 14 points and eight rebounds.  Missouri Valley limited William Penn to 35-percent shooting, and finished 26 of 31 from the free throw line.

Missouri Valley improves to 7-12 on the season and 6-9 in the Heart.  William Penn drops to 9-10 overall and 6-9 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a Heart doubleheader against Mount Mercy (Iowa), Saturday afternoon.  Women's game starts at 12 p.m., followed by the men's game at 2 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.