Graceland Women’s Basketball Edged in Overtime Battle by Missouri Valley, 75–72

LAMONI, Iowa — Despite a dominant performance in the paint and a 13-point second-half lead, the Graceland University Yellowjackets dropped their Heart of America Athletic Conference opener in overtime to Missouri Valley, 75–72, on Saturday afternoon inside Morden Center.

Graceland (1-5, 0-1 Heart) shot 45.2% from the field and out-rebounded the Vikings 36–33, but a series of late turnovers and a 22-for-26 free throw disparity in favor of Missouri Valley (2-3, 1-0 Heart) proved pivotal down the stretch.

Maxine Ampofo led the Yellowjackets with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting, adding 7 rebounds, while Ianara Morbidoni added 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Angelique Taylor provided a near-perfect performance off the bench, going 6-for-7 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the line for 17 points in just 17 minutes of action.

Graceland led for most of regulation after a hot start, shooting 50% in the first quarter and riding a 17–13 second-quarter advantage to enter halftime up 37–28. Ampofo and Morbidoni combined for 25 first-half points, while the defense limited the Vikings to just 38.1% shooting for the game.

However, Missouri Valley chipped away in the fourth quarter behind Sara Ortiz's 26 points and Jessica Reeter's 20-point, 9-rebound, 4-assist outing. Graceland committed 22 turnovers, including multiple in the closing minutes of regulation, allowing the Vikings to force overtime after a late surge and 8 straight points by Reeter from the stripe.

In the extra period, Missouri Valley opened with a layup from Bianca Sarbu before trading baskets with Graceland. A late free throw by Ortiz and Reeter's perfect 4-for-4 free throw shooting in overtime sealed the win for the Vikings.

Head coach Willie Scott reflected on the team's growth and execution despite the loss:

"We competed for 45 minutes and put ourselves in a position to win. Our rebounding, paint touches and bench play were strong. We just have to clean up late-game possessions and finish with composure," Scott said.

The Yellowjackets finished the game with a 36–36 draw in points in the paint, 19 bench points, and a +3 rebounding margin, but were outscored 11–8 in overtime and 16–12 at the free throw line.

Team Leaders:

• Graceland: Ampofo (22 pts), Morbidoni (17 pts, 6 reb), Taylor (17 pts), Russell (13 reb, 3 ast)

• Missouri Valley: Ortiz (26 pts), Reeter (20 pts), Sarbu (11 pts, 9 reb)

The Yellowjackets will look to regroup at home as they return to Morden Center for a conference matchup against Peru State on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. CST.

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