Graceland Women's Basketball Drops Conference Matchup at Missouri Valley

MARSHALL, Mo. — The Graceland University Yellowjackets women's basketball team fell to Missouri Valley College in a conference matchup Saturday afternoon at the Burns Athletic Complex. Graceland, now 4-12 on the season and 2-10 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, was defeated by the Vikings 85-60. Missouri Valley improved to 13-3 overall and 9-3 in conference play.

The Yellowjackets struggled to find offensive rhythm early, shooting 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc, compared to Missouri Valley's 46.7% overall shooting. Despite solid performances from key players, Graceland was unable to match Missouri Valley's efficiency and depth. The Vikings capitalized on turnovers, converting 22 points from Graceland's 17 giveaways.

Genesis Alarcon led the Yellowjackets with a double-double, posting 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Kymani Freeman added 11 points, including three makes from deep. Missouri Valley's Giavanna Moore paced her team with 18 points, shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Missouri Valley's decisive first-half performance created an uphill battle for Graceland. The Vikings outscored the Yellowjackets 56-24 by halftime, fueled by 50% shooting in the first quarter and 52.6% in the second. Graceland improved in the third quarter, outscoring the Vikings 18-17, but the gap proved too large to close.

Interim Head Coach Zach Moore credited Missouri Valley for their strong play. "Missouri Valley deserves a lot of credit for how good they are as a team. They are one of the best teams in the conference," Moore said. "Unfortunately, we didn't come ready to play today, but we have a tough stretch of games coming up. So, we can't dwell on it for long. We have to learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward."

The Yellowjackets showed resilience in bench contributions, tallying 23 points from reserves compared to Missouri Valley's 26. However, second-chance points (24-8) and points in the paint (44-24) heavily favored the Vikings, underscoring their control in the key areas of the game.

Graceland will look to bounce back in their next game on Monday at 5:30 p.m., hosting MidAmerica Nazarene University in Lamoni, Iowa, at the Morden Center.

For more information on Graceland women's basketball and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.