Women's Basketball Falls to Grand View on the Road

Des Moines, Iowa, (Feb. 15, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Grand View (Iowa), Saturday afternoon.  The women's team fell, 66-60.  The men's team forced overtime, but lost, 82-75.

The women's game started with a three-pointer from Senior Giavanna Moore (Independence, Mo.), but Grand View eventually went in front, 4-3, with two minutes played.  Missouri Valley went more than two minutes of play without another basket, until a Moore field goal made it a 5-4 score.  Grand View was held scoreless over a nearly three-minute stretch, as MVC forced two turnovers.  Moore scored the next four points for Missouri Valley, followed by a layup by Senior Ylenia Exposito (Tenerife, Canary Islands) to keep the team on top, 11-8, at the four-minute mark.  Junior Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) added the next field goal for MVC, nearly two minutes later, then Junior Maleigha Landers (Fort Worth, Texas) added a basket with just over one minute remaining in the quarter to put the team ahead, 15-13.  Grand View tacked on one more field goal before the end of the quarter, and put the teams in a 15-15 tie.

Missouri Valley went more than two minutes without a made shot to open the second quarter, but the drought ended on a three-pointer from Moore to send the team back on top, 18-17.  Freshman D'Ajha Horton (Aurora, Colo.) added a pair of free throws, while Landers sank a three-pointer, four minutes into the quarter, to stretch the lead out to 23-19.  Another Moore jumper put the score at 25-20 midway through the quarter.  Grand View responded, and went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes.  Horton made two free throws to cut the deficit down to 28-27, with under two minutes to play before the break.  Missouri Valley eventually trailed, 31-27, in the final minute of the quarter, but one free throw from Exposito and a pair of made free throws by Moore cut the gap down.  Moore blocked a last-second shot by GVU, and Missouri Valley went into halftime trailing, 31-30.

The two teams traded points through much of play in the third quarter.  Senior Noa Fernandez (Castaneda, Spain) put in the first field goal for MVC, with just over one minute played, while a pair of Horton free throws tied the score at 34-34 midway through the quarter.  Freshman Seilani Relford (Aurora, Colo.) broke the tie on a jumper near the four-minute mark, to put Missouri Valley on top, 36-34.  Moore sank a three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining to help MVC hold a 41-38 advantage.  A layup by Fernandez kept Missouri Valley in front, 43-40, but Grand View scored six-straight points to move ahead, 46-43, in the final minute of play in the third.  Exposito responded with a last-second basket to put MVC in a 46-45 deficit going into the fourth quarter.

Play in the fourth quarter opened with GVU extending its lead to 50-45 in the opening minute.  Horton answered with a three-point shot, then added a pair of free throws to tie the teams at 50-50 near the seven-minute mark.  The teams traded points over the next several minutes.  Baskets were made by Moore, Exposito, Fernandez an Relford to make it 58-58 game with less than three minutes remaining in the contest.  Moore added another basket just past the two-minute mark to put MVC in a 61-60 deficit.  However, that was the final basket of the game for Missouri Valley.  Grand View scored the final six points of the contest, and MVC fell, 66-60.

Moore led with 21 points to go with six rebounds.  Horton had her first double-double of the season with 13 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.  Fernandez had a season-high 11 rebounds to go with six points.  Missouri Valley held a 40-30 advantage in rebounds, and blocked five shots. 

Missouri Valley drops to 20-6 overall and 16-6 in the Heart. Grand View improves to 20-6 on the season and 18-4 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's and women's basketball teams will travel to Parkville, Mo., for a Heart doubleheader against Park (Mo.), Wednesday evening.  Women's game at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score-Click Here 

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.