Lamoni, Iowa – The Central Methodist University men's basketball team saw its season come to an end Friday night, falling to top-seeded Graceland University, 79-55, in the semifinals of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Eagles, the tournament's No. 5 seed, advanced to the Heart semifinals for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.

Graceland set the tone early, building a 40-21 advantage in the first half. Central responded with its strongest stretch after the break, scoring 34 second-half points in an effort to trim the deficit, but the Yellowjackets maintained control to secure the semifinal victory.

Senior Raphael Gay led the Eagles with 17 points while adding a team-high eight rebounds and three blocks.

Fellow senior Tyson Oghene contributed 12 points and three rebounds, and freshman Isaiah Bonaparte added 10 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

As a team, Central shot 43.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range, while Graceland posted similar efficiency at 43.3 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The key difference came on the glass, where the Yellowjackets held a 40-26 rebounding advantage.

Central Methodist concludes the season with a 19-11 overall record and a 12-8 mark in conference play.

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