Men's Basketball Falls Late to William Penn on Senior Day

Marshall, Mo. (Feb. 21, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted William Penn (Iowa) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Athletic Complex for Senior Day.  The women's team closed its regular season with a 63-41 win, while the men's team fell late, 88-82.

Play in the men's game started with an early jumper made by Junior Kamari Slaughter (Gary, Ind.) followed by a steal from Junior Devin Davenport (Milwaukee, Wisc.) that led to a layup from Senior Antwon Ferrell (Newman, Ga.) as Missouri Valley held a 4-0 advantage with just over two minutes off the clock.  Davenport and Moss made back-to-back three-point shots, and MVC stretched its lead out to 10-3 near the 16-minute mark.  Ferrell followed with another three-pointer moments later, but the Statesmen eventually worked back to tie the teams at 15-15 with just over six minutes played.  Davenport added a free throw on the next Viking possession, while Freshman Damario Moss (Lexington, Mo.) made a jump shot and Slaughter sank a three-point attempt to put Missouri Valley ahead, 21-18 with less than 12-minutes to play in the first half.  The Vikings continued to add to their advantage, as Ferrell sank a pair of free throws and Davenport recorded a steal and three-point play to cap a 10-0 run for MVC that made it a 26-18 score midway through the half.  William Penn answered, and scored eight-straight points over the next minute to cut the gap down to 26-24.  Davenport responded with a layup, while Ferrell added a steal and fast-break layup to put the Viking advantage at 30-24 near the seven-minute mark.  Missouri Valley increased its lead over the next stretch, as Davenport made a pair of three-point shots, Sophomore Darrin Thompson (Huntsville, Ala.) added a layup and Ferrell scored four points to put the score at 42-33 with less than four minutes left on the clock.  A three-pointer from Thompson followed nearly two minutes later, as the team went back up by double-digits, 45-35.  Scoring in the half for MVC was capped on a three-point field goal from Moss, and Missouri Valley went into the break on top, 49-40.

William Penn cut down its deficit at the start of the second half to trail, 49-46, with just over one minute played after the restart.  Moss made the first field goal of the half for Missouri Valley, and two made free throws by Davenport put the advantage at 53-46 less than one minute later.  The Statesmen followed with a 14-2 run over the next six minutes to move ahead by a 60-55 score.  Junior Keanu Patrick (Biloxi, Miss.) ended the MVC drought with a three-point play near the 12-minute mark to cut the team's deficit down to 60-58.  William Penn stayed in front, and gradually added to its lead over the next several minutes, putting Missouri Valley in a double-digit deficit, 73-62, midway through the half.  Patrick added a three-pointer and Ferrell made three-straight free throws, then sank a jumper to help MVC cut the gap down to 75-70 with seven minutes to play in the contest.  Another two made free throws by Ferrell put the score at 78-74.  The Statesmen maintained their advantage over the next stretch of play, until a layup from Patrick cut the MVC deficit to 85-82 with just over one minute remaining.  William Penn came down with two offensive rebounds on its next possession, then made three attempts from the free throw line to hold off the Vikings late.  Missouri Valley fell by a final score of 88-82.

Ferrell led with 26 points to go with five steals and four assists.  Davenport had 23 points and five rebounds, while Moss scored 10 points.  Missouri Valley forced 15 turnovers in the game and blocked three shots.

Missouri Valley drops to 18-10 overall and 12-8 in the Heart.  The 18 wins in the regular season is the most for the program since the 2014-15 season.  William Penn improves to 22-6 on the season and 16-4 in the Heart.

Up next, the Viking men's basketball team will play in the Heart Postseason Championship, traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, to play Grand View (Iowa) in the quarterfinals, Tuesday.

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.