Women's Basketball Drops Close Road Game Against Southwestern Christian

Atchison, Kan., (Nov. 7, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College women's basketball team traveled to Atchison, Kan., for a non-conference game against Southwestern Christian (Okla.) at the Benedictine Classic, Friday evening.  The Vikings lost a close contest by a final score of 61-58. 

The two teams traded points at the start of the game, and both remained scoreless for over two minutes.  Southwestern Christian went in front by a 5-0 margin with four minutes played in the contest.  Then, Senior Maleigha Landers (Fort Worth, Texas) made the first three-pointer for the Vikings midway through the first quarter, 5-3.  Just over a minute later, Senior Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) added a three-pointer, keeping MVC in a 7-6 deficit.  Missouri Valley was kept scoreless over a two-minute stretch, but Junior Manuela Perez De Castro (Madrid, Spain) ended the drought with a free throw, and Senior Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) followed with a field goal moments later to cut the gap down to 13-9.  With under a minute to play, Freshman Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) and Senior Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) made one field goal each to pull the team into a 15-13 deficit going into the second quarter.

Both teams struggled to score points at the start of the second quarter.  Over the next four-minutes after the restart, both Reeter and Sullivan added a three-pointer each to close the gap down to 23-19.  Southwestern Christian outscored MVC by a 27-19 margin with under five minutes to play, and the Vikings answered back as Reeter made another three-pointer cutting its deficit down to 27-22.  Missouri Valley kept SCU scoreless in the last three minutes of the quarter, and MVC continued to chip away at its deficit, as both Senior Gabriela Modeva (Ohrid, Macedonia) and Freshman Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) made a field goal each, but the team trailed, 30-28, at halftime.

The Eagles added to its leads at the start of the third quarter, eventually staying ahead, 36-28.  The first points of the quarter for Missouri Valley came on a pair of free throws from Ortiz with just over four minutes played, and moments later, both Sophomore Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.) and Freshman Tara Rivas (San Salvador, El Salvador) made a pair of free throws each to cut its deficit down to 38-34.  Teams traded possession in the last four minutes, and the final points of the quarter came from SCU, and MVC trailed 42-36 going into the fourth.

Play in the fourth quarter started with a basket each from Ortiz and Rivas, with less than two minutes off the clock to put the score at 44-40.  Then, Tivas made a three-pointer midway through the quarter to make it a one possession game, as the Vikings trailed, 49-45.  Southwestern Christian responded to build up a double-digit lead near the four-minute mark, 57-47.  Lepetitgaland added a three-pointer and a field goal to cut MVC deficit down with two minutes remaining, and with just under a minute left to play in the game Reeter had a three-pointer to close the deficit to 60-57. However, SCU stayed in front and held off a late Missouri Valley comeback, and the Vikings fell by a final score of 61-58.

Reeters led with 15 points to go with five assists and five rebounds. Ortiz had nine points, six rebounds and two blocks.  Rivas came off the bench to score 10 points, while Lepetitgaland also came off the bench and had seven points and three assists.  Missouri Valley held a 41-38 advantage in rebounds, and forced 16 turnovers, with six blocks in the game.

Missouri Valley moves to 1-1, while Southwestern Christian improves to 3-0.

Up next, the Viking women's basketball team plays one more game at the Benedictine Classic, taking on Briar Cliff (Iowa), Saturday at 12 p.m., in Atchison, Kan.

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.