Men's Basketball Pulls Away in Win Over Central Christian of the Bible

Marshall, Mo. (Jan. 5, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's basketball team welcomed in Central Christian of the Bible (Mo.) for a non-conference game Monday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings pulled away in the second half to secure a 97-66 victory.

The game started with a pair of layups from Junior Kamari Slaughter (Gary, Ind.) to put Missouri Valley in front, 4-0, with one minute played.  Central Christian of the Bible answered with five-straight points, and eventually built up an 11-6 advantage with five minutes off the clock.  Freshman Shalva Meunargia (Tbilisi, Georgia) and Freshman Damario Moss (Lexington, Mo.) each added baskets for MVC over the next minute, but the Saints eventually sat in front, 16-10 near the 13-minute mark.  Moss answered with a layup, while Junior Devin Davenport (Milwaukee, Wisc.) came up with a steal that led to a Moss three-pointer. Junior Keanu Patrick (Biloxi, Miss.) capped a 7-0 run for the Vikings with an offensive rebound and dunk to send the team ahead, 17-16, with 11-minutes remaining in the half.  Missouri Valley went without a field goal over the next five minutes of play, and trailed, 23-18.  Senior Antwon Ferrell (Newman, Ga.) ended the drought with a layup, and a pair of Davenport free throws closed the gap to 23-22 with under five minutes remaining.  Slaughter briefly put MVC on top, 24-23, with a layup just over one minute later, and the two teams traded points over the next stretch.  Davenport made a pair of free throws, and Patrick put down another dunk to give the Vikings a 34-31 lead with two minutes to play in the half.  The final four points of the half were scored from Davenport, including an alley-oop dunk off an assist from Ferrell, and Missouri Valley went into halftime holding a 38-35 advantage.

The two teams traded points at the start of the second half.  Slaughter capped off a three-point play and Patrick added a dunk and layup.  Slaughter made another field goal, while a Patrick steal led to a fast-break dunk for Davenport as MVC stayed in front, 49-43 with three minutes off the clock.  More points came on a Davenport layup and Moss three-pointer, but Central Christian of the Bible trailed by a 54-49 score just past the 15-minute mark.  Missouri Valley began to pull away over the next two minutes, outscoring the Saints by a 9-2 margin.  Ferrell scored five points, while Slaughter and Junior Cael Simpson (Gold Coast Australia) each put in one basket to give the team a double-digit advantage, 63-51, with just over seven minutes played in the half.  The Vikings then held Central Christian of the Bible scoreless over a five minute stretch and put together a 17-0 run to extend their lead.  Ferrell, Slaughter, and Davenport led the team through the stretch, as Slaughter added seven points and both Ferrell and Davenport scored six points apiece to help make it 82-53 with seven minutes remaining.  Ferrell made a three-pointer, Slaughter a pair of free throws and Davenport sank a jumper to put the lead at 89-57 near the five-minute mark.  Meunargia made a late three-pointer and Junior Ryan Lewis (Fontana, Calif.) came down with an offensive rebounds and layup to cap scoring and finish out a 97-66 win for Missouri Valley.

Davenport led with 24 points, while Slaughter totaled 23 points and seven rebounds.  Ferrell added 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Moss chipped in with 12 points.  Missouri Valley forced 17 turnovers in the game and held a 44-22 edge in rebounds.  The Vikings shot 60-percent from the floor in the second half and just under 55-percent in the game.

Missouri Valley improves to 10-5 on the season, while Central Christian of the Bible falls to 4-8.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams will host Park (Mo.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader, Saturday afternoon, inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  Women's game starts at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game at 4 p.m.

Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.