Men's Basketball Drops Home Game to Avila

Marshall, Mo. (Nov. 1, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's basketball team hosted Avila (Mo.) inside the Burns Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon in a non-conference game.  The two teams stayed close in the first half, but the Viking eventually fell by a final score of 77-70.

The game started with Avila going in front and building a lead, out to a 10-4 score with just over five minutes played.  The Viking deficit eventually grew to 14-6 more than one minute later, but MVC worked back into the contest with a three-pointer from Freshman Damario Moss (Lexington, Mo.), followed by a block from Junior Cael Simpson (Gold Coast, Australia) which led to a Junior Ryan Lewis (Fontana, Calif.) layup to cut the deficit to 14-11 near the 13-minute mark.  Missouri Valley continued its pace on a Simpson layup and a three-pointer by Senior Antwon Ferrell (Newman, Ga.) to cap a 10-0 run and move in front at 16-14 with just over eight minutes played.  Moss and Ferrell added three-point baskets over the next minute of play, and two made free throws by Moss stretched the advantage to 24-19 midway through the half.  Avila outscored MVC by a 6-0 margin over the next two minutes, to briefly grab a 25-24 lead, while another three-pointer from Ferrell moments later put the Vikings back on top, 27-25.  Moss sank a three-pointer near the six-minute mark, and field goals from both Ferrell and Junior Devin Davenport (Milwaukee, Wisc.) followed to give Missouri Valley a 34-28 advantage with under five minutes remaining in the half.  The Eagles responded, and outscored MVC by an 8-2 margin in the final stretch of play before the break, and the teams went into halftime tied at 36-36.

Missouri Valley started the second half with an early layup from Lewis followed by a made jumper from Freshman Shalva Meunargia (Tbilisi, Georgia) to put the team in front, 40-38 with one minute off the clock.  The Vikings were held scoreless over the next four minutes, as AU went on top, 45-40.  A Davenport basket ended the drought for MVC, but the deficit eventually grew to double-digits for the first time, at 53-43, just past the 13-minute mark.  Missouri Valley eventually trailed by a 46-43 score, until a layup from Davenport and a made basket from Junior Keanu Patrick (Biloxi, Miss.) cut the gap down to 56-47 midway through the half.  Ferrell came through with a jumper at the nine-minute mark, to bring the team to within a 56-49 gap, then a Patrick layup made it a 58-51 score with less than seven minutes left on the clock.  Avila stretched its advantage back out to double-digits, and held a 69-55 lead with two minutes remaining.  Davenport put in a pair of free throws, and Ferrell scored the next five points for MVC, but the team still trailed, 71-62, with under one minute to play.  A three-pointer from Davenport, two made free throws by Moss and a Ferrell layup brought the team to within a 74-69 score in the final moments.  However, the Eagles held off a late rally, and defeated Missouri Valley, 77-70.

Ferrell led with 24 points and added seven assists and five rebounds.  Davenport scored 20 points, and Moss recorded a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.  Patrick added 10 rebounds and four points.  Missouri Valley blocked five shots in the game and had a 47-41 edge in rebounds.

The loss drops Missouri Valley to 1-1 on the season, while Avila improves to 3-0.

Up next, the Viking men's basketball team will host Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) in a non-conference contest, Tuesday evening.  It's part of a doubleheader.  The women's game will start at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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.