Women's Basketball Falls in Close Game to Missouri Baptist

Marshall, Mo. (Jan. 28, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams welcomed in Missouri Baptist for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday evening, inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings fell in the women's game, 65-63.  The men's team pulled away in the second half for an 80-60 victory.

The women's game opened with Missouri Valley going in front early, and building up an advantage.  Senior Center Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) put in the first basket of the contest, followed by a made jumper from Junior Guard Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.).  Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) and Freshman Guard Madison Mills (Farmington, Mo.) each sank three-point shots, and MVC sat in front, 10-3, with just over three minutes played.  Two minutes later, Reeter added a field goal, while Ortiz sank a pair of free throws to put the score at 14-6 near the four-minute mark.  The Vikings were held scoreless over the final stretch of play in the quarter, while Missouri Baptist went on a 10-0 run to go in front, 16-14.

Scoring in the second quarter began with two made free throws from Reeter moments after the restart, but Missouri Valley went four minutes into the quarter before making its first field goal.  Ortiz sank a jumper to cut the deficit down to 20-18.  Ortiz added the next four points for MVC, as the two teams sat in a 22-22 tie with less than three minutes to play before the break.  Freshman Forward Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) scored a late field goal, just before the quarter came to an end, and the teams went into halftime tied at 24-24.

Missouri Baptist took a brief lead at the start of the third quarter, going ahead 28-27 with one minute played.  Reeter responded with a total of four made three-point shots in the first three minutes of play to help put the Vikings in front, 36-30.  Mills followed with a three-pointer midway through the quarter, and Bostick added another three-point field goal near the four-minute mark to stretch the advantage to 42-34.  Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher scored five-straight points for MVC, including a three-point play with less than two minutes to play in the quarter, giving the team a double-digit lead, 47-37.  The Spartans closed their gap with a quick 6-0 run, while Ortiz sank a shot just before the buzzer to send Missouri Valley into the fourth quarter in front, 49-43.

The Vikings advantage grew to 51-43 at the start of the final quarter, on a made jumper from Reeter.  Missouri Baptist answered with a 10-0 run through the midway point of the quarter to go ahead, 53-51.  Senior Guard Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) ended the MVC drought with a three-pointer moments later, then Fenstermacher added a layup to give Missouri Valley a 56-55 advantage with less than four minutes to play in the contest.  The Spartans reclaimed the lead, and gradually made it a 63-57 score in the closing moments.  Sullivan added another three-pointer, while Mills also hit a last-second three-point shot.  However, MBU went 5 of 6 from the free throw line in the final minute, and the Vikings suffered a 65-63 defeat.

Reeter led with 18 points to go with five rebounds.  Ortiz had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.  Both Mills and Bostick added nine points.  Missouri Valley forced 13 turnovers in the game and blocked four shots.

Missouri Valley drops to 12-8 overall and 9-4 in the Heart.  Missouri Baptist improves to 7-12 on the season and 6-7 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's and women's basketball teams will travel to Dubuque, Iowa, for a Heart doubleheader with Clarke (Iowa), Saturday afternoon.  Women's game starts at 12 p.m., followed by the men's game at 2 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.