Late second half push falls short as Missouri Valley downs UHSP

MARSHALL, MO – The Eutectics took the court at Burns Athletic Complex for a matchup against Missouri Valley College. After a season opening loss to Avila University, UHSP was hopeful for a bounce back game against the Vikings of Missouri Valley but ultimately fall short, 89-79. This was the third all-time matchup between UHSP and Missouri Valley, putting the Vikings on top in the all-time series.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

MISSOURI VALLEY 89, UHSP 79

• Missouri Valley junior guard Devin Davenport led the way for the Vikings, scoring 33 points against the Eutectics. He hit half of his 18 field goal attempts and was 14-for-17 from the foul line, had four boards and three assists.
• Damario Moss nailed a three with 5:56 left in the half to give the Vikings an eight-point lead, the largest lead to that point for either club in a first half where neither club could gain much separation. Davin Davenport eventually made the lead ten, but Landon Engelage connected from deep for the Eutectics and Carmello Bostwick hit a jumper and the margin was 30-25 with 2:33 left. MoVal posted 39 first-half points while holding UHSP to 28, establishing an 11-point lead at the break.
• Cael Simpson extended the lead to 19 for the home club with 14:19 left. A couple of Davenport foul shots midway through the half took the lead to 20 at 67-47. The Eutectics were able to cut the margin to single digits at 76-67 as Engelage made a layup with just under four minutes left. They eventually got within seven with just over a minute left, but the Vikings hung on for the win. UHSP battled back in the second half with a 51-point effort, but Missouri Valley's 50 second-half points were just enough to seal an 89-79 victory.
• The Vikings shot 50.0% overall and knocked down 41.2% from three, providing the offensive efficiency needed.
• UHSP managed just 20.8% from deep, limiting their ability to chip away from the deficit despite a strong second half.
• Free-throw shooting proved decisive as Missouri Valley hit 81.1% at the line, while UHSP went 75.0%. The Vikings went 30-of-37 from the line while the Euts were 18-for-24.
• UHSP outplayed Missouri Valley in the paint 38 to 28 in points.
• UHSP's bench delivered a boost as they scored 27 of the team's 79 points, while Missouri Valley's bench accounted for only 8 of their 89.
• Top individual performances for UHSP include Braeden Jordan added 21 points (8/13 FG) along with three assists. Landon Engelage poured in 17 points and had a team-hight seven rebounds.
• Justin Coleman and Jasmin Suvalija combined for 21 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals.
• The game featured two ties and four lead changes.

NEXT UP:

The UHSP Men's Basketball team will come home from the season opening road trip for their home opener against Central Christian College of the Bible on Thursday at 6:00 PM. UHSP leads the all-time series 7-4 and look to improve to three wins in a row against the Saints.