Men's Basketball Pulls Away for Home Win Over Clarke

Marshall, Mo., (Jan. 6, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted Clarke (Iowa) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The women's team fell to the No. 4 Pride, 77-62.  The men's team pulled away in the second half for a 78-62 victory.

The men's game started with the two teams scoreless through nearly two minutes of play, until the first field goal of the contest from Junior Cawhan Smith (Collinsville, Ill.) put Missouri Valley in front.  Junior J'Luan Patterson (Belleville, Ill.) added a layup to help keep the teams tied with less than four minutes gone in the game.  The two teams went without scoring through nearly three minutes of play, but the Vikings went in front on a three-point play from Junior Oliver Pauleon-Gerard (Covington, Ga.).  Clarke answered back to briefly go on top, 8-7, near the 12-minute mark.  Junior Jarrius Burnett (Warrenton, Ga.) tied the score with one free throw, while CU claimed a 9-8 advantage with less than 11 minutes remaining in the half.  Patterson and Smith put MVC back on top with a pair of layups, but Clarke responded to reclaim the lead at 14-12 just past the eight-minute mark.  The Vikings answered with a run over the next stretch, which started on a three-pointer from Patterson.  Burnett came down with an offensive rebound and layup, and Junior Jace Lance (Marshall, MO.) added a field goal.  Smith continued the run with a basket, and Senior Vincent Taylor (Dallas, Texas) scored the next six points, all on assists from Lance, to cap the 15-0 run and put the lead at 27-14 with three minutes to play before halftime.  The Pride worked their deficit down to single-digits in the closing moments, but an offensive rebound and tip-in basket for Taylor sent MVC into the break with a 31-22 advantage.

Scoring after halftime started with four made free throws from Burnett, and a layup by Senior Keenan Jones (Chicago, Ill.) to keep the Vikings on top by double-digits, 37-27, with less than two minutes played.  The two teams traded points over the next several minutes, as Clarke worked back to a 44-38 deficit near the 14-minute mark.  The score sat at 47-41 just over one minute later, then 50-43 as the game approached the midway point of the second half.  Four points from Taylor and a three-pointer from Patterson over a stretch of play pushed the advantage out to 60-45 with eight minutes left on the clock.  The Vikings continued to build up their lead, as a dunk from Patterson and a three-pointer from Burnett made it 67-47 past the six-minute mark.  Missouri Valley held off CU from there, as Freshman Hayden Lovingier (Macon, Mo.) put in a three-pointer, and Junior Dylan Driver (Covington, Ga.) added a late field goal to close out scoring.  The Vikings eventually finished out a 78-62 win.

Taylor came off the bench to record his first-career double-double, totaling 12 points and 15 rebounds.  Patterson led in scoring, tying a season-high with 18 points.  Burnett finished with 15 points and five rebounds.  Missouri Valley limited Clarke to 36-percent shooting, and held a 43-35 advantage in rebounds.

Missouri Valley improves to 6-8 on the season and 5-5 in the conference.  Clarke drops to 3-11 overall and 1-9 in the Heart.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams travel to Canton, Mo., Wednesday evening, for a Heart doubleheader with Culver-Stockton (Mo.).  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.