Box Score The Basics
Score: Grand View 66, Evangel 61
Records: Evangel (11-13, 10-9); Grand View (10-8, 7-8)
Location: Ashcroft Center
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Grand View used a pair of first-half scoring runs to gain the upper hand, then withstood a second-half rally by Evangel to post a 66-61 Heart of America Athletic Conference victory over the Crusaders Saturday afternoon at the Ashcroft Center.
The Vikings seized the lead for good in the late stages of a seesaw first half, scoring 11 unanswered points over a three-minute stretch to turn a two-point deficit into a nine-point lead. EU cut the deficit to three points on two occasions late in the contest, but the Vikings' defense held its ground to pull out the close victory.
Ryan Miller led GVU with 15 points, and the Vikings limited EU to 0.361 (22-of-61) shooting for the afternoon.
After the Vikings built a 21-13 advantage with an early13-0 spurt, Evangel used the long ball to bounce back and reclaim the lead. Cade Coffman connected on his 134th three-pointer as a Crusader with 10:31 left in the half, before Manrique Alvarado followed suit 45 seconds later to put EU in front, 23-21.
The Vikings vaulted back in front on a Trevonte Diggs bucket, after Dallas Meinders had tied the score with a jumper at the 7:59 mark. Next, Miller tallied four-straight GVU points, and Drew Johnson canned a trey with 3:07 to go in the half for a 32-23 margin.
EU closed the gap to six points at the break, as an Edriel Martinborough free throw stopped the run and another Alvarado trey cut further into the deficit, despite the Crusaders hitting just four of their final 24 field goal attempts of the half.
The Crusaders scored the first five points of the second half to gut the GVU lead to one point, but the visitors responded with eight straight points to establish a nine-point lead. Alvarado's third triple of the game with 14:17 to play trimmed the margin to 44-40, but once again, the Vikings rebounded with five unanswered points.
Grand View kept the Crusaders at bay, despite EU pulling to within four points on two separate occasions. Josh Pritchett scored a second-chance bucket with 9:37 to go to draw the Crusaders to within 51-47, only to see the Vikings score six of the next eight points over a two-minute stretch.
EU would get no closer than six points until back-to-back baskets by Pritchett and Coffman sliced the margin to three with just under a minute to play.
Pritchett posted a 22-point afternoon to match his EU career high, while Alvarado finished with 11 points and Coffman added a 10-point, 14-rebound performance.
With its regular season complete, Evangel will await its Heart Conference Tournament fate after completing the league season with a 10-9 mark (and 11-13 overall).
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics, Twitter (@EUAthletics), or visit EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the new Evangel Crusaders GamedayApp through Google Play.
—EvangelAthletics.com—
