Women's Basketball Builds Early Lead in Win Over William Woods

Marshall, Mo. (Jan. 21, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams hosted William Woods (Mo.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The women's team took an early lead and earned a 60-35 win.  The men's team held on late for an 81-73 victory.

Missouri Valley started the women's game with a 14-0 run to go in front early.  Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.) and Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) each scored five points, while Freshman Forward Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) and Senior Center Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) each added one basket during the stretch.  The first field goal for William Woods came past the three-minute mark, to make it a 14-3 score, and MVC added one more three-pointer, from Freshman Guard Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) to cap scoring in the quarter, and extend the MVC advantage to 17-5.

The two teams traded baskets to start play in the second quarter.  Sarbu opened with a three-point play, while Reeter added another five points.  Freshman Forward Madison Mills (Farmington, Mo.) sank a three-pointer midway through the quarter as the Viking lead sat at 28-12.  Junior Guard Manuela Perez de Castro (Madrid, Spain) added a layup, while Leptetitgaland sank a pair of free throws.  Missouri Valley limited WWU to only three made field goals in the entire quarter.  Reeter capped off play in the half with one more layup, and the Vikings led at halftime, 34-13.

Scoring in the third quarter began with a quick layup from Ortiz, but the next field goal came nearly three minutes later, as a basket from the Owls made it a 36-16 score.  Ortiz and Fenstermacher followed with one layup apiece, while baskets from Freshman Forward Lilyan Landis (Scott City, Mo.) and Sarbu stretched the advantage out to 44-20 at the four-minute mark.  Reeter added another jumper late, while the Vikings forced a total of six turnovers in the quarter.  Missouri Valley held a 46-24 lead going into the final quarter of play. 

The fourth quarter featured an early layup from Sarbu, then a steal and fast-break layup from Sarbu to push the advantage to 50-26 with more than two minutes played.  The next stretch featured a three-pointer from Mills and a layup by Reeter to make it a 55-30 score with four minutes remaining in the game.  The Vikings maintained its lead through the reset of play, helped by late field goals from Landis and Junior Guard Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) to cap a 60-35 win.

Reeter led with 16 points to go with eight assists.  Sarbu added 11 points, while Fenstermacher had seven points and a career-high 15 rebounds.  The team held a 49-30 advantage in rebounds and limited William Woods to 20-percent shooting from the floor, while forcing 16 turnovers.  The 35 points given is the fewest points allowed in a conference game by the Vikings since a 79-39 win over Graceland (Iowa) back on Jan. 7, 2023.  Missouri Valley also swept the season series, which included a 74-47 win in Fulton, Mo., back on Nov. 19.

Missouri Valley improves to 12-7 overall and 9-3 in the Heart with the win.  William Woods drops to 2-15 on the season and 2-10 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's and women's basketball teams will travel to Baldwin City, Kan., for a Heart doubleheader with Baker (Kan.), Saturday afternoon.  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.