Men's Basketball Pulls Away From Baker at Home

Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 22, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted Baker (Kan.) inside the Burns Athletic Complex Saturday evening for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.  The women's team overcame a halftime deficit for a 70-60 victory, and the men's team pulled away in the second half to win, 95-71.

The men's game began with Baker taking control early, outscoring Missouri Valley by an 11-0 margin through the first three minutes of play.  The opening basket for the Vikings came on a three-pointer from Freshman Damario Moss (Lexington, Mo.), followed by a steal and fast-break layup from Senior Antwon Ferrell (Newman, Ga.) to bring the team back to an 11-5 score.  The next two field goals for MVC came on three-pointers by Ferrell, as the team trailed 16-11 with five minutes off the clock.  The Vikings continued to chip away at the deficit, as Freshman Shalva Meunargia (Tbilis, Georgia) sank a three-pointer, and Sophomore Darrin Thompson (Huntsville, Ala.) came up with a steal and fast-break layup to eventually put the gap at 18-17 near the 13-minute mark.  Thompson added another layup moments later, and Missouri Valley held its first lead of the game, 19-18.  The two teams traded points until the score was tied at 23-23 with less than nine minutes to play in the half.  Meunargia responded by making a pair of three-pointers, and Ferrell added a jumper to give the Vikings a 31-23 advantage just over two minutes later.  More three-pointers came for MVC over the next two minutes, as Moss made two attempts, and Ferrell added a three-point basket to give the team its first double-digit advantage at 40-30 as the clock went below five minute remaining.  Junior Devin Davenport (Milwaukee, Wisc.) kept the team in front on a steal and fast-break dunk to make it a 42-32 score two minutes later.  Scoring for Missouri Valley ended in the half on three more made three-pointers from Moss, and the Vikings built up a 51-37 lead at halftime. 

The second half of play opened with a Baker turnover, which led to a steal and fast-break layup from Meunargia.  Both Meunargia and Ferrell added baskets over the next stretch, and Davenport sealed a three-point play to make it a 60-41 score with four minutes played.  Made layups from Junior Keanu Patrick (Biloxi, Miss.) and Moss stretched the advantage out to 68-47 at the 13-minute mark, while Meunargia added a three-pointer, followed by a layup by Moss to put the score at 75-50 midway through the half.  The lead grew to 82-53 on a Junior Cael Simpson (Gold Coast, Australia) layup less than two minutes later, and Missouri Valley put the game away.  The Vikings eventually secured a 95-71 victory.

Both Moss and Meunargia totaled a season-high 23 points apiece.  Moss made seven three-pointers, and Meunargia came off the bench to go 9 of 12 from the field.  Ferrell added 17 points and five steals, while Thompson came off the bench to score 11 points.  Missouri Valley shot over 57-percent from the floor, and over 55-percent on three-point attempts.  The team also held a 32-31 edge in rebounds and forced Baker into 18 turnovers.

Missouri Valley improves to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference.  Baker drops to 2-6 on the season and 1-2 in the Heart.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams will host Benedictine (Kan.) in a Heart doubleheader, Tuesday evening 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.