Women's Basketball Pulls Away From Park on the Road

Marshall, Mo., (Feb. 19, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Parkville, Mo., for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Park (Mo.), Wednesday evening.  The women's team built up an early lead, and pulled away for an 83-57 win.  The men's team fell, by a final score of 85-67

The women's game started with Missouri Valley going on an early run to open the first quarter.  Freshman D'Ajha Horton (Aurora, Colo.) totaled four points, while both Senior Rajone Callahan (Wichita, Kan.) and Senior Giavanna Moore (Independence, Mo.) added one field goal apiece to put the team on top, 8-0, midway through the quarter.  The Vikings forced Park into five turnovers during the stretch of play.  The next two minutes featured the Pirates working down their deficit to 9-7.  Missouri Valley responded with another run to end the quarter.  Moore sank a three-point shot to start the 8-2 run, followed by a layup from Callahan.  Scoring in the quarter was capped on another three-pointer by Moore, and MVC held a 17-9 advantage.

The Viking lead grew to double-digits one-minute into the second quarter, on a Callahan jumper.  Moments later, Callahan added a three-point play to make it a 22-9 score.  Missouri Valley continued to increase its advantage after a layup from Senior Ylenia Exposito (Tenerife, Canary Islands), who then came up with a steal that eventually led to a three-point play by Horton, as the lead grew to 27-9 with three minutes gone in the quarter.  The Vikings were held scoreless over the next two minutes, while a three-pointer from Exposito broke the drought midway through the quarter and kept the team on top, 30-13.  The two teams traded points through the next stretch, as Junior Maleigha Landers (Fort Worth, Texas) and Junior Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) each had one layup as the score sat at 37-22 at the two-minute mark.  Sullivan ended the half with back-to-back three-pointers, and sent the team into halftime ahead, 43-23.

Play in the third quarter began with a layup from Horton quickly after the restart.  Callahan made a three-pointer that allowed MVC to double-up the Park score, 50-25, near the eight-minute mark.  The next two field goals came from Exposito, the second on a fast-break opportunity after a steal.  Moore added five points midway through the quarter, as the lead sat at 59-35.  Freshman Seilani Relford (Aurora, Colo.) came up with a steal, and added a layup, while Sophomore Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) made a three-point shot to put the score at 66-40 going into the fourth quarter.

The two teams traded points throughout the final quarter of play.  Horton scored the opening nine points for Missouri Valley and helped stretch the advantage to 75-48 midway through the quarter.  Exposito had the next five points for MVC, and Landers finished out scoring in the contest with a last-second three-pointer.  The Vikings earned an 83-57 victory.

Horton led with her second double-double of the season, totaling 18 points and 13 rebounds to go with five assists.  Exposito had 17 points and six assists, while Moore added 16 points and four steals.  Callahan added 12 points and five rebounds, and Sullivan came off the bench to score 10 points.  Missouri Valley shot over 51-percent from the floor, including 10 of 19 on three-point shots.  Park was limited to 28-percent shooting and committed 19 turnovers.

Missouri Valley improves to 21-6 overall and 17-6 in the Heart, while Park drops to 17-11 on the season and 14-10 in the conference.  The Vikings sweep the season series, having defeated the Pirates, 80-55, at home back on Jan. 8.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams host Culver-Stockton (Mo.) in a Heart doubleheader for Senior Day, Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  Women's game at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game at 4 p.m.  

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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.