Women's Basketball Falls on the Road to Clarke

Dubuque, Iowa, (Jan. 31, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Dubuque, Iowa, for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Clarke (Iowa), Saturday afternoon.  The Viking women's team fell by a final score of 70-51.

The women's game opened with both teams held scoreless through nearly three minutes of play.  The first made field goal in the contest came from Senior Center Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain), while a three-pointer by Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) near the six-minute mark put Missouri Valley in front, 6-4.  Clarke answered back with an 8-0 over a nearly two-minute stretch to move ahead, 12-6, midway through the quarter.  Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.) ended the MVC drought with a layup, followed by a basket from Freshman Forward Bianca Sarbu (Bucharest, Romania) to put the deficit at 12-10 with just over three minutes to play in the quarter.  A jumper from Fenstermacher put the score at 14-12 near the two-minute mark, but the Pride scored the final six points of the quarter to hold a 20-12 advantage.

Missouri Valley was held without a point through the opening seven minutes of play in the second quarter, as CU built its lead up to 37-14.  Reeter made a layup for the first field goal of the quarter for MVC, but the team went into halftime trailing, 40-18.

Clarke began the third quarter with a 6-0 run over the opening two minutes, to put the score at 46-18.  Fenstermacher sank a pair of free throws moments later, with Freshman Guard Alice Lepetitgaland (Lyon, France) adding a three-pointer near the six-minute mark to put the team's deficit at 50-23.    The Vikings outscored the Pride by an 11-1 margin late in the quarter.  Fenstermacher and Reeter each made a pair of free throws, and Reeter added a three-pointer.  Sophomore Guard Seilani Relford (Aurora, Colo.) sank a jumper, and Reeter closed the quarter with a layup as the team trailed, 61-38.  The Vikings held CU to only nine points in the fourth quarter, but could not cut its deficit down below 20-points until the closing moments of the game.  Missouri Valley fell, 70-51.

Reeter led with 12 points to go with five rebounds.  Fenstermacher had 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals.  Ortiz added 10 rebounds and six points.  Missouri Valley forced 14 turnovers in the game, and blocked five shots.

The loss drops Missouri Valley to 12-9 overall and 9-5 in the Heart.  Clarke improves to 11-11 on the season and 7-7 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams host Central Methodist (Mo.) in a Heart doubleheader, Wednesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex for the Winter Social and Courtwarming.  Women's game starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 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.