Women's Basketball Opens Season With Win Over Hannibal-LaGrange

Marshall, Mo. (Nov. 4, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) in a non-conference doubleheader inside the Burns Athletic Complex Tuesday evening.  The Viking women's team pulled away from the Trojans in a 90-41 win.  The men's team built a double-digit lead, then held on for a 67-65 victory.

The women's game started with Missouri Valley falling into an early 4-0 deficit, and not creating the team's first field goal until more than four minutes had been played.  Baskets from Senior Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) and Senior Maleigha Landers (Fort Worth, Texas) tied the teams at 4-4, then a pair of free throws by Senior Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) put MVC on top, 6-4, midway through the quarter.  The next two minutes featured four points from HLGU, along with a three-pointer from Junior Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) and a pair of free throws by Senior Gabriela Modeva (Ohrid, Macedonia) to keep Missouri Valley ahead, 11-8.  The Vikings held Hannibal-LaGrange scoreless through the rest of the quarter, and two made free throws by Freshman Tara Rivas (San Salvador, El Salvador) plus a late free throw from Senior Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) sent MVC into the second quarter in front, 14-8.

Scoring started in the second quarter with a quick three-pointer from Freshman Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) moments after play resumed to make it a 17-8 score.  Just over two minutes later, Ortiz came up with a steal, then worked down the court to finish off the possession with a layup to give the team a 20-8 lead.  Missouri Valley continued to build up its advantage from there, helped by layups from Landers and Sophomore Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.), then Reeter added four points to stretch the gap to 28-8 midway through the quarter.  Hannibal-LaGrange made its first field goal of the quarter moments later, ending a 14-0 run for MVC.  Bostick then came up with a steal, and set up Sarbu with a layup, and Ortiz added another layup just past the three-minute mark to make it a 32-10 advantage.  The quarter ended on a three-pointer from Sarbu and a steal and fast-break layup by Ortiz to send the teams into halftime at 37-11.

Play resumed in the third quarter with a block from Ortiz on the first possession for HLGU, while Fenstermacher came up with a steal and a layup for the first points, as the score sat at 39-11.  The Vikings put together an 11-0 to open the quarter, helped by five points from Landers, and a pair of free throws from both Fenstermacher and Ortiz to put the lead at 48-11 with two minutes played.  After Trojan free throws ended the early run, MVC came back with another 11-0 stretch over the following two minutes.  Fenstermacher added a three-point play, Ortiz made a layup, and Reeter sank a pair of three-point attempts as the advantage grew to 59-13 midway through the quarter.  The two teams traded points over the final stretch of play in the third, which included a layup from Rivas, three-pointer by Bostick, two made free throws from Sullivan and a late basket by Junior Manuela Perez De Castro (Madrid, Spain) as the quarter ended at a 71-26 score.

The fourth quarter began with early field goals from Ortiz and Freshman Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) for Missouri Valley, but the team went on a more than two-minute drought without a basket until a jumper from Freshman Lilyan Landis (Scott City, Mo.) put the lead at 77-34 near the seven-minute mark.  The Trojans were kept scoreless over a nearly three-minute stretch, as Landers made two layups and Reeter sank a three-pointer to stretch the advantage out to 84-36.  The final points of the game came on baskets from Landis, Sullivan and Rivas to close out a 90-41 win.

Landers led with 16 points to go with five rebounds, five steals and four assists.  Ortiz had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven steals, while Reeter added 12 points and six assists.  Sarbu scored 10 points.  The Vikings held a 46-24 advantage in rebounds, came up with 20 steals and forced 30 turnovers while limiting Hannibal-LaGrange to 31-percent shooting from the floor.

Missouri Valley improves to 1-0 on the season, while Hannibal-LaGrange falls to 0-2.

Up next, the Viking women's basketball team will play at the Benedictine Classic in Atchison, Kan., this weekend.  The first game will be Friday at 5:30 p.m., against Southwestern Christian (Okla.).  The men's team will next be in action Saturday at 4 p.m., at Manhattan Christian (Kan.).

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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.