Women's Basketball Suffers Home Loss to Avila

Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 12, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College women's basketball team hosted Avila (Mo.) in a non-conference game Wednesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings could not overcome a halftime deficit, and fell by a final score of 64-57.

Avila got in front early, outscoring Missouri Valley by an 8-2 margin through the opening three minutes.  Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.) added a layup moments later to cut the deficit down to 8-4, then two-straight layups made by Senior Center Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) shrunk the gap to 10-8 at the four-minute mark.  The two teams traded points over the next stretch, as Freshman Forward Lilyan Landis (Scott City, Mo.) added a basket and Senior Center Gabriela Modeva (Ohrid, Macedonia) made one free throw attempt.  The Eagles put in the last field goal of the quarter, and went into the second quarter on top, 16-11.

Modeva began the second quarter with an early offensive rebound and layup for the first points scored, but AU stretched its advantage out to 20-13 with just over two minutes played.  Fenstermacher responded with an offensive rebound and two made free throws, while a three-pointer from Freshman Guard Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) brought the deficit down to 21-18 near the six-minute mark.  The Vikings stayed close over the next stretch, as another Fenstermacher layup put the gap at 25-23 with two minutes to play before the break.  Avila responded with a run to end the half, outscoring MVC by a 9-0 margin and put Missouri Valley in a double-digit deficit at halftime, 34-23.

The third quarter began with the Vikings outscoring AU by an 8-1 margin through nearly four minutes of play.  Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) opened the quarter with a three-pointer, and Fenstermacher came down with an offensive rebound and layup.  The run continued after a steal from Senior Guard Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) led to a three-point play from Freshman Guard Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) to cut the gap down to 35-31.  The Eagles followed by building up their lead over the next two minutes, and sat on top by double-digits again, 42-32.  Ortiz ended the Avila run with a layup, and Junior Guard Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) made a jumper to make it a 42-36 score with less than one minute to play in the quarter.  The Eagles ended the third with four made free throws, and led, 46-36, going into the final quarter of play.

Scoring in the fourth quarter began on a Freshman Guard Tara Rivas (San Salvador, El Salvador) layup, but AU eventually pushed its advantage out to 53-39 at the six-minute mark.  Freshman Guard Maddison Mills (Farmington, Mo.) responded with a three-pointer, while both Landis and Lepetitgaland put in layups to bring the team back to a 53-46 gap midway through the quarter.  Reeter added another three-pointer moments later to make it 55-49.  Bostick also made a three-point shot, followed by a layup from Reeter to make it a 61-56 score near the final minute of play.  However, the Vikings were unable to move any closer, and fell by a final score of 64-57.

Fenstermacher finished in double-digits for the first time in her career, totaling 10 points to go with six rebounds.  Reeter added nine points and four assists, while Ortiz had seven points and six rebounds.  Missouri Valley forced 19 turnovers in the game, and totaled seven steals. 

Missouri Valley drops to 1-3 on the season and Avila improves to 2-2.

Up next, the Viking women's basketball team opens Heart of America Athletic Conference action with a doubleheader in Lamoni, Iowa, Saturday against Graceland (Iowa).  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.