[Men's Basketball] Viking Men's Basketball Comeback Falls Short in Opening Night

Des Moines, Iowa – The Grand View men's basketball team was unsuccessful in finishing their comeback against the visiting Midland University, falling to the Warriors 88-78. The Vikings found themselves down 20 points late in the first half but battled back closing the gap to as little as 4. Grand View falls to 0-1 on the season and Midland went to 1-0.

The Warrior offense was explosive in the first period. They shot 46% from the field, while also shooting 50% from the three-point line. The Vikings were able to put together a series of defensive stops throughout the half, but those possessions were always followed by a series of scores for Midland, usually from behind the arc.

The Viking offense struggled at times in the first half as well. The team shot 36% from the field and only 25% from three. Turnovers also hindered the Grand View offense from executing. The Vikings committed 10 turnovers, which led to the visitors shooting 5 more shots in the first period.

Grand View came out of the halftime intermission with a new sense of purpose, however. The Vikings were able to cut the 16 point halftime deficit to 4 with 14:30 on the game clock. The Vikings were able to keep the game within reach in the second half with their hot shooting. They shot the ball well in the second half shooting 54% from the field and 60% from behind the arc.

With 4:00 left in the game, Grand View trailed Midland by only 3 points. However, a mixture of turnovers, shots that didn't fall, and some tough shots hit by Midland never allowed the Vikings to get over the hump. 

Keys of the Game…

It was a tale of two halves for the Vikings who struggled in the first half to score and defend but played themselves back into the game into the second half shortening the Midland lead from 20 points to 3.

The Vikings only shot 9 free throws on the night compared to the Warrior's 23 attempts.

The Vikings turned the ball over way too often, especially in the first half. They accumulated 11 turnovers in the first period and 19 for the entire game.

Players of Note…

Nathan Washington (SR/Houston, Texas) led the Vikings with 32 points on 11-18 shooting. Washington exploded in the second half with a barrage of threes. The senior wing shot 5-6 from 3-point range in the second half and 8-13 overall.

Jjuan Hadnot (SR/Beaumont, Texas) followed Washington with scoring 19 points. He also added 7 rebounds.

Corey Evers (SR/Joliet, Illinois) led the team with 8 rebounds and Jordan Brunkow (JR/Ankeny, Iowa) led the team with 6 assists.

Up Next…

The next game for the Vikings will be a familiar one as they take on Midland on the road. Grand View will travel to Fremont, Nebraska on Friday, November 10th to avenge their opening loss to the Warriors. Tip-off begins at 7:00 pm. Check back with gvvikings.com for a complete recap and follow the Vikings on social media (@VikingAthletics) for in-game updates.