Wildcats Fall to (RV) Grand View, 76-64 in Final Home Game of 2024

BALDWIN CITY - Baker women's basketball battled tough with visiting (RV) Grand View on Saturday, but came up short in a 76-64 setback in the Collins Center in the final home game of the calendar year for BU.

The Wildcats came out with a fiery start that resulted in the game being knotted up at 20-20 after the first quarter. GVU pulled away with a 25-point second period and held BU to eight points in the third before fending off a fourth-quarter rally to come away with the conference win.

Destiny Kiner's 15 points led a balanced night offensively for the Wildcats with three other players joining her in double figures. Alyssa Morris had 14 points to go along with eight rebounds while Taniya Tease and Sophia Barrett finished with 10 points apiece.

After the Vikings took an early 15-9 lead, a three by Maddie Wilbeck kickstarted a nice stretch for BU with Kiner following with another three and Wilbeck knocking down a second jumper. A runout steal by Barrett put Baker on top at 20-18 before GVU tied it up in a back-and-forth opening quarter.

Grand View went on a 10-4 run to begin the second quarter before back-to-back layups by Tease and Kiner brought the Wildcats within four. The Vikings stretched their lead out to double digits with a trey by Hallie Smires helping to limit the blow for BU as GVU took an 11-point lead into the break at 45-34.

In the second half, Tease swished in one from deep early on, but that would be the last field goal for Baker until a jumper from Barrett at the 4:45 mark made it a 49-42 ballgame. The Vikings produced another critical run and closed out the frame with an 11-0 run to take a 60-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

GVU built its lead out to 21 points in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats started to get within respectable margins. Morris and Rihanna Blanchard connected on back-to-back threes and a pair of free throws by Morris made it a 13-point deficit for BU with just over two minutes remaining. A layup by Blanchard was the last bucket though as the final score settled in favor of the Vikings, 76-64.

Up next, Baker has a quick turnaround to close out Heart play before the break with a matchup at Mount Mercy on Monday, Dec. 16 starting at 4 p.m. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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