Women's Basketball Tops William Penn on Senior Day

Marshall, Mo. (Feb. 21, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted William Penn (Iowa) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Athletic Complex for Senior Day.  The women's team closed its regular season with a 63-41 win, while the men's team fell late, 88-82.

Missouri Valley took control early in the women's game, winning the opening tip-off, then quickly scoring on a three-pointer from Freshman Guard Madison Mills (Farmington, Mo.) to move in front.  Senior Center Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) added a layup moments later, then blocked a shot that led to a three-pointer from Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) to make it an 8-3 score with just over two minutes off the clock.  The three-pointer from Reeter set a new program record for single-season three-point makes, at 77.  The next points for MVC came nearly two minutes later, on a pair of free throw from Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.), then Reeter added another three-point shot midway through the quarter to stretch the lead out to double-digits, 13-3.  Reeter added the final five points scored by the Vikings in the quarter, and helped the team hold a 19-9 advantage going into the second quarter. 

William Penn began the next quarter by cutting into its deficit, trailing by a 19-13 score with just over one minute played.  Sophomore Guard Seilani Relford (Aurora, Colo.) put in the first basket of the quarter for Missouri Valley, with more than two minutes off the clock.  Fenstermacher came down with an offensive rebound near the seven-minute mark, and Reeter ended the possession with a layup to put the lead back to double-digits, 23-13.  The Vikings followed with a run to end the quarter, keeping WPU scoreless through eight-straight minutes.  Relford added a pair of free throws, Freshman Guard Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) sank a three-pointer and Reeter added another five points as Missouri Valley went into halftime ahead, 33-13.

The two teams traded points early in the third quarter, as Ortiz made the first two field goals for MVC, and put the lead at 37-17 with two minutes played.  The teams went through a long drought in the quarter, as the next basket for MVC came at the three-minute mark after Relford recorded a steal and fast-break layup to move the score to 39-19.  Senior Guard Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) added the final five points of the quarter for the Vikings as the team led by a 44-24 score going into the final quarter of play.

Play in the fourth quarter began with William Penn putting together a 10-3 run through the first five minutes to cut the team's deficit down to 47-34.  The Vikings responded over the next minute, using back-to-back three-pointers from Reeter and Mills to push the advantage out to 53-34.  Lepetitigaland came up with a steal near the three-minute mark, which led to a three-point play by Sullivan, and gave the team a 56-34 lead.  Missouri Valley went on a quick 7-0 run late in the quarter, as Senior Guard Carla Moros (Savadell, Spain) sank a three-pointer while both Ortiz and Freshman Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) added one layup apiece.  The Vikings eventually finished out the victory by a final score of 63-41.

Reeter led with 24 points, going 6 of 9 on three-point attempts, adding three assists.  Reeter finished the regular season by setting two single-season program records.  Reeter made 82 three-point shots and recorded 128 assists on the season.  Ortiz added eight points and five rebounds, and Sullivan came off the bench to score eight points.  Missouri Valley held William Penn to 21-percent shooting from the floor and finished with a 42-37 advantage in rebounds.

Missouri Valley ends its regular season with a 16-11 overall record and a 13-7 record in the Heart.  William Penn drops to 7-21 on the season and 4-16 in the conference.

Up next, the Vikings will play in the Heart Postseason Championship, traveling to Canton, Mo., for a quarterfinal game with Culver-Stockton (Mo.), Wednesday.

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.