Women's Basketball Pulls Away From Mount Mercy in Home Win

Marshall, Mo. (Jan. 17, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams welcomed in Mount Mercy (Iowa) for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Viking women's basketball team pulled away in the second half for a 76-61 victory, while the men's team overcame a halftime deficit to earn an 80-71 win.

The women's game opened with both teams held scoreless through two minutes of play.  The first field goal of the contest was a three-pointer from Freshman Guard Madison Mills (Farmington, Mo.), followed by five points from Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) to help keep Missouri Valley in front, 8-3, midway through the quarter.  Mount Mercy answered back, and went on a 9-0 run over the next four minutes to move ahead, 12-8.  Senior Guard Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) ended the MVC drought with a layup with just over one minute left on the clock.  Freshman Forward Lilyan Landis (Scott City, Mo.) came down with an offensive rebound and a layup, while Junior Guard Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) added a late three-pointer, but Missouri Valley trailed, 17-15, at the end of the first quarter.

Mount Mercy increased its lead through much of the second quarter, holding MVC scoreless through more than six minutes of play, and eventually holding a double-digit advantage at 25-15.  Senior Center Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) scored the first points of the quarter for the Vikings, with just over three minutes to play before the break.  Mills and Reeter both followed with one three-pointer apiece over the next minute of play.  Freshman Forward Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) capped scoring in the quarter with a layup to help cut the Viking deficit down to 27-25 at halftime.

Play in the third quarter began with Missouri Valley taking control early, as Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.) put in a layup moments after the restart, and Ortiz added a basket on the next MVC possession to send the team in front, 29-27.  Mount Mercy briefly tied the teams, after a pair of free throws, but Reeter answered with a three-pointer and Oritz added a layup to give the Vikings a 34-29 lead with two minutes played.  The Mustangs cut the gap down to one point, but five points from Sarbu and two made free throws by Reeter extended the advantage to 41-33 midway through the quarter.  After the Mustangs made a three-pointer, MVC put together a run through the remaining four minutes.  The Vikings used three points from Ortiz, and three-pointers by Bostick and Freshman Guard Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) to outscore MMU by a 10-2 margin and take a 51-38 lead going into the final quarter of play.

After the Mustangs cut their deficit back to single-digits to open the fourth quarter, Mills sank a three-pointer and made it a 54-42 score with nearly two minutes played.  The two teams traded points over the next stretch, as Bostick added a layup and Reeter scored five points to help keep MVC on top by double-digits, 62-52, nearly midway through the quarter.  Missouri Valley began to pull away over the next stretch, outscoring MMU by 7-0 margin.  Ortiz had a layup, Sarbu sank a three-pointer and Reeter added two made free throws as the score sat at 69-54 with less than four minutes remaining.  Sullivan added another three free throws, and Reeter sank a pair from the free throw line to put the lead at 74-56 late in the game.  Mount Mercy was held to only five points in the final three minutes of play, and the Vikings finished out a 76-61 win.

Reeter led with 24 points to go with nine rebounds.  Ortiz had her second double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.  Sarbu finished with 12 points and Fenstermacher had 12 rebounds.  Missouri Valley forced 12 turnovers in the game and held a 43-33 advantage in rebounds.

Missouri Valley improves to 11-7 overall and 8-3 in the Heart.  Mount Mercy drops to 8-9 on the season and 4-6 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams will host William Woods (Mo.) in a Heart doubleheader, Wednesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  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.