Men's Basketball Suffers Home Loss to Central Methodist

Marshall, Mo. (Feb. 4, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted Central Methodist (Mo.) inside the Burns Athletic Complex for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader and Courtwarming, Wednesday evening.  The women's team pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 56-41 win in the Heart Game of the Week, presented by Olathe Chamber of Commerce.  The men's team fell by a final score of 77-72.

The men's game began with a pair of early layups from Junior Kamari Slaughter (Gary, Ind.) to put the Vikings in front, 4-3, with just over two minutes played.  Missouri Valley produced just one more field goal over the next eight minutes of play, until a Sophomore Darrin Thompson (Huntsville, Ala.) steal and fast-break layup brought the team into a 22-10 deficit midway through the half.  The gap grew to 29-12 over the next three minutes, while layups from Freshman Damario Moss (Lexington, Mo.) and Thompson, along with a free throw by Senior Antwon Ferrell (Newman, Ga.) put the score at 29-17 with under three minutes remaining until the break.  Junior Keanu Patrick (Biloxi, Miss.) added a late dunk, and Slaughter finished scoring the half for MVC with a layup, but the team trailed, 35-21, at halftime.

Scoring in the second half started with layups from Patrick and Moss in the first two minutes of play to bring the team into a 35-25 deficit.  Central Methodist responded with a quick 8-0 run to extend the team's advantage.  Davenport followed with a layup, while CMU eventually built up a 50-27 lead near the 14-minute mark.  The Vikings outscored Central Methodist by a 10-0 margin over the next four minutes, which included four points from Slaughter, and made field goals from Thompson and Patrick, along with a pair of free throws from Moss to put the score at 50-37 near the midway point of the half. The Vikings continued to cut away at their deficit as Slaughter added a layup, Ferrell came up with a steal and fast-break layup, and another Slaughter basket put the team in a single-digit deficit, 52-43, at the nine-minute mark.  Ferrell scored the next six points for MVC over the following two minutes, and Slaughter added a three-pointer to move the gap down to 59-52 with seven minutes remaining.  The two teams traded points over the next stretch of play, until Moss sank a three-pointer and Slaughter drove in for a layup to make it a 70-65 score near the final minute.  Central Methodist closed the game by making five free throws in the final minute.  Davenport added a four-point play in the closing moments, but Missouri Valley fell by a final score of 77-72.

Slaughter tied a season-high with 23 points, and added 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.  Ferrell had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Davenport added 11 points.  Missouri Valley finished with a 42-40 edge in rebounds and forced CMU into 14 turnovers.  

Missouri Valley drops to 16-7 on the season and 10-5 in the Heart.  Central Methodist improves to 15-8 overall and 9-6 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams will travel to Peru, Neb., for a Heart doubleheader against Peru State (Neb.), Saturday.  Women's game at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game at 4 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.