Women's Basketball Earns OT Road Win over Graceland

Lamoni, Iowa, (Nov. 15, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College basketball teams traveled to Lamoni, Iowa, to open play in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with a doubleheader against Graceland (Iowa), Saturday afternoon.  The women's team came back from a halftime deficit to earn a 75-72 win. 

The women's game started with Missouri Valley going in front, as Senior Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) made two layups in the opening minute, 4-2.  Senior Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) added a three-pointer over two minutes later to keep the Vikings ahead, 7-4.  Teams traded possession over the next stretch of play, and Ortiz added a layup midway through the first quarter to make it a 9-4 score.  Missouri Valley went more than three minutes without a made shot, and Graceland cut into their deficit and tied the game at 13-13 with under a minute to play.  Ortiz tacked on one more field goal before the end of the quarter to put MVC in front, 15-14, but the Yellowjackets responded with back-to-back three pointers to regain the lead, 20-15 going into the second quarter.

Play in the second quarter opened with two baskets each from Ortiz and Freshman Tara Rivas (San Salvador, El Salvador) to close the gap down to 25-19.  Graceland extended its lead out to double-digits, and led 31-20 with five minutes remaining.  The teams traded points over the last three minutes of the quarter, featuring a three-pointer and a layup from Freshman Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania), and a three-pointer from Senior Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.).  Missouri Valley went into halftime trailing, 37-28.

The two teams traded points through much of play in the third quarter.  Ortiz added four more points, along with a basket from Freshman Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) with over three minutes played to cut its deficit to 45-34.  The Vikings struggled to score points over the next several minutes, but the drought ended on a layup from Sarbu.  Missouri Valley worked back into the game, keeping GU scoreless in the last three minutes of the quarter. Then, two free throws were made by Reeter, along with a layup from Sarbu, and a three pointer by Freshman Madison Mills (Farmington, Mo.) to close the gap down to 48-42 going into the fourth quarter. 

The fourth quarter started with a pair of free throws from Junior Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) in the opening minute. Ortiz made a layup near the eight-minute mark, but the team trailed, 53-49.  The Vikings continued to cut into their deficit, as Ortiz scored the next six points for MVC, closing the gap to 57-55 midway through the quarter.  Graceland stretched out its advantage to 63-59 with three minutes left to play. However, Missouri Valley worked back, as Reeter put in a three-pointer and sank a pair of free throws to tie the score at 64-64.  Both teams missed late shots to win the game, as the contest went into overtime, tied at 64-64.

Missouri Valley took an early lead in the overtime period, after a layup from Sarbu and free throw from Ortiz made it a 67-64 score with under four minutes to play, but the Yellowjackets responded making four points to go in front, 68-67.  However, a jump shot from Bostick tied the game back at 70-70.  The Vikings had a pair of free throws made from Reeter, putting MVC in front, 72-70 in the closing moments, and Reeter capped things off with a final two free throws as Missouri Valley won by a final score of 75-72.

Ortiz led with 26 points to go with three rebounds and two steals.  Reeter followed with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists.  Sarbu came off the bench to score 11 points and nine rebounds.  Missouri Valley forced 22 turnovers in the game.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 2-3 on the season and 1-0 in the Heart.  Graceland drops to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking teams will travel to Fulton, Mo., for a Heart doubleheader with William Woods (Mo.), Saturday.  Women's game at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 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.