Men's Basketball Secures Road Win Over William Woods

Fulton, Mo., (Nov. 19, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Fulton, Mo., for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against William Woods (Mo.), Wednesday evening.  The Viking women's team pulled away in the second half for a 74-47 victory.  The men's team followed with a 78-66 victory.

The men's game began with a quick basket by Junior Keanu Patrick (Biloxi, Miss.), followed by a jumper from Freshman Damario Moss (Lexington, Mo.) to give Missouri Valley a 4-0 advantage with two minutes played.  William Woods answered back with six-straight points to briefly hold a 6-4 lead, followed by a field goal from Junior Devin Davenport (Milwaukee, Wisc.) to tie the teams.  The next basket for MVC came nearly three minutes later, as Sophomore Darrin Thompson (Huntsville, Ala.) came up with a steal and a layup to put the team in front, 9-8, followed moments later by a layup from Junior Cael Simpson (Gold Coast, Australia) to tie the score at 11-11 near the 13-minute mark.  The Owls followed with a 6-0 run over the next two minutes to move on top, 17-11.  The Vikings went nearly three minutes without any points, until a dunk from Freshman Shalva Meunargia (Tbilisi, Georgia) put the deficit at 17-13.  William Woods responded by increasing its lead to 21-13 past the midway point of the half.  Senior Antwon Ferrell (Newman, Ga.) cut down the team's gap over the next stretch of play, making a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to put the deficit at 23-19 with less than eight minutes remaining until halftime.  Simpson came through with a layup moments later, and another three-point basket from Ferrell sent MVC back in front, 24-23, near the six-minute mark.  The two teams traded points over the next two minutes, with William Woods eventually reclaiming the lead at 31-27.  Missouri Valley responded to close the half on a 10-2 run.  Ferrell put in another jumper, and Moss sank a three-pointer moments later.  Another three-pointer, this time by Ferrell with just over one minute to play until the break, continued the run, while Moss sank a shot just before the buzzer to end play in the half, and send MVC into halftime in front, 37-33.

Missouri Valley started the second half by increasing its advantage, using one free throw from Simpson and a layup by Thompson to stretch the lead to 40-33 with two minutes played after the restart.  The two teams traded points over the next three minutes, until a three-point basket by Moss gave the Vikings a double-digit margin for the first time, at 51-41, with less than five minutes off the clock.  One minute later, Meunargia came up with a steal, which led to a layup from Thompson, and then Meunargia sank a three-pointer to make it a 56-41 score at the 14-minute mark.  Meunargia added another pair of jumpers near the midway mark of the half, as the team held a 60-45 advantage.  William Woods eventually chipped its deficit down to single-digits, at 64-55, with less than eight minutes remaining in the contest.  The Vikings went through a four-minute stretch without any points, until a Meunargia jumper and layup by Thompson put the team back on top by double-digits, 68-57, with under four minutes to play.  Missouri Valley held off the Owls late in the game, making five of six free throw attempts to close out scoring.  Moss and Ferrell both made a pair of free throws, and one final free throw from Thompson finished out a 78-66 win.

Ferrell led with his first double-double of the season recording 24 points and 11 rebounds, to go with six assists.  Moss totaled 18 points and nine rebounds.  Meunargia came off the bench to score 13 points, and Thompson scored 11 points off the bench.  Missouri Valley held a 47-27 advantage in rebounds and shot over 50-percent from the floor.

Missouri Valley improves to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Heart.  William Woods drops to 3-4 on the season and 1-1 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams host Baker (Kan.) in the first home Heart doubleheader of the season, Saturday inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  Women's game starts 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.