Pride can't overcome first half deficit in road loss to Missouri Valley

MARSHALL, Mo. - Coming off of a high-scoring win in their last game on Monday, the Clarke University men's basketball were unable to have a repeat performance on Saturday in a 79-63 defeat to Missouri Valley College on Saturday afternoon.

The Vikings would get revenge for a loss to the Pride in the Kehl Center back in December by way of a strong first half that saw MVC head to the locker room with a 46-29 halftime lead behind 44.7 percent (17-38) shooting from the field and seven three pointers while going 5-for-8 (62.5%) from the free throw line as CU didn't even step to the charity stripe once in the opening 20 minutes.

Overall in the game, Missouri Valley wouldn't have much of a shooting efficiency advantage at 41.1 percent for the Vikings to 39.7 percent for the Pride but the Vikings would take care of the ball, only committing six turnovers, and take advantage of Clarke's 16 turnovers to score 23 points off of those giveaways while also outscoring Clarke in second chance points 17-6.

MVC had four players in double figures led by the game's leading scorer of Jarrius Burnett, who hit five three pointers for 15 of his game-high 19 points while David Ajanaku added 13, Geovonni Floyd scored 11, and J'luan Patterson produced 10 points off the bench.

Daquon Lewis led the scoring efforts for the Pride with 15 points on 6-of-11 (54.5%) shooting from the field and having a 3-for-4 (75%) day from deep as Maximiliano Bowman added 10 points, DeMarco Clayton and Jonovan Howard both scored nine, and Carson Lindauer had an eight-point, eight-rebound game.

Clarke men's basketball will be back on the court on Monday night, Feb. 10 to make up this past Wednesday's postponed game at Culver-Stockton College as the Pride and Wildcats will tip off in Canton, Mo. at 7:30 p.m. CT or approximately 20 minutes following the conclusion of the women's game.