GU Narrowly Falls to Missouri Baptist, 57-55, in Hard-Fought Conference Tilt
LAMONI, Iowa — The Graceland University women's basketball team dropped another close contest on Saturday afternoon at the Morden Center, falling to Missouri Baptist 57-55 in a Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup. The Yellowjackets' rally came up just short in the final seconds as Missouri Baptist converted a pair of free throws with two ticks left on the clock.
The loss marks the seventh straight defeat for Graceland (1-10, 0-4 Heart), though no loss during that stretch has come by more than 12 points, and the last two have been decided by a combined five points. Missouri Baptist improved to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in league play with the win.
The Yellowjackets trailed by 19 at halftime (35-16) but responded with a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 29-12 behind a barrage of perimeter scoring and interior defense. Graceland took a brief lead at 48-47 early in the fourth quarter after a Kayla Smolley three-pointer, and led again at 55-53 with just under three minutes to play.
Missouri Baptist tied the game with a layup by Paula Puzule at the 2:54 mark. Following missed opportunities from both sides, the Spartans gained possession with five seconds left and drew a foul. Riley Jansen hit both free throws to seal the final score.
Graceland was led by Oliviya Tinoco, who finished with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. She added seven rebounds and was instrumental during the third-quarter comeback. Smolley added six points, all from three-point range, while Julianna Penn contributed eight points and three assists. Forward Maxine Ampofo chipped in six points and six rebounds off the bench.
Despite shooting just 32.4 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from three, Graceland committed only 10 turnovers while forcing 18, turning them into 19 points off turnovers. The Yellowjackets also recorded seven steals and six blocks, three of which came from senior guard Nateonia Russell.
"We've had two gut-wrenching losses this week," said head coach Willie Scott. "But the way we fought in the second half today speaks volumes. The girls are executing better on both ends, and we're defending with purpose. We're close — very close — and if we keep playing this hard, the results will come."
Graceland won the third quarter 29-12, shooting 54.5 percent, including 50 percent from three-point range, and forced six turnovers in the frame. It marked their best scoring quarter of the season.
The Yellowjackets held statistical advantages in points off turnovers (19-16), points in the paint (26-24), and steals (7-5), while Missouri Baptist held the rebounding edge 44-33, including 13 offensive boards that led to 12 second-chance points.
Graceland will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 11, with a road conference matchup at Park University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CST at Breckon Sports Center in Parkville, Missouri.
For more information on Graceland Women's Basketball and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.