Women's Basketball Falls in Quarterfinals to Culver-Stockton on the Road

Canton, Mo, (Feb. 25, 2026)- The No. 5 seed Missouri Valley College women's basketball team traveled to Canton, Mo., for a quarterfinal round contest in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Postseason Championship against No. 4 seed Culver-Stockton (Mo.), Wednesday evening.  The Vikings led going into the fourth quarter, but fell by a final score of 69-64.

Missouri Valley got out to an early lead, as Senior Center Sara Ortiz scored six points, and Sophomore Forward Lexi Fenstermacher (O'Fallon, Mo.) added a layup to put the team in front, 8-3, with three minutes played.  Culver-Stockton responded, and held MVC to only two more points over the next six minutes of play, and put together a 17-2 run during the stretch.  Senior Guard Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) added a basket at the buzzer, but the Vikings trailed, 20-12, at the end of the quarter.

Play in the second quarter began with Missouri Valley cutting into its deficit, as Fenstermacher hit a three-pointer, followed by a pair of free throws two minutes into play from Junior Guard Jessica Reeter (Chillicothe, Mo.) to make it a 20-17 score.  The Wildcats extended their advantage over the next stretch of play, out to 28-19 just past the six-minute mark.  Missouri Valley eventually trailed by double-digits midway through the quarter, as the gap grew to 37-23 as the half reached three minutes remaining.  A three-pointer from Reeter and a three-point play by Fenstermacher trimmed the deficit down to 39-29 over the next minute.  Fenstermacher added a late layup as MVC went into halftime behind by a 41-31 score.

An early run for Missouri Valley in the third quarter helped the team work back into the game.  Reeter sank a pair of three-pointers and Freshman Guard Madison Mills (Farmington, Mo.) added another three-point basket to close a 9-0 run and put the team in a 43-40 deficit with just over three minutes played after the break.  Culver-Stocken extended its lead out to 46-40 moments later, while MVC followed with a run.  The 11-0 stretched started on a Reeter layup, while Ortiz added one free throw.  Reeter and Mills each had one three-point basket, and Sullivan ended the run with a jumper as Missouri Valley moved ahead, 51-46, at the three-minute mark.  The Wildcats eventually worked back to tie the contest late in the quarter, while Reeter finished off the third quarter with a last-second layup, and the Vikings held a 55-53 lead going in the final quarter of play.

Culver-Stockton outscored MVC by a 7-2 margin over the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter to move in front, 60-57.  Reeter sank a three-points shot midway through the quarter to tie the teams, at 60-60.  However, CSC kept Missouri Valley scoreless over the next three minutes, and added eight-straight points to make it a 68-60 score late in the contest.  Sullivan ended the Viking drought with a jump shot near the one-minute mark, then a Culver-Stockton turnover led to a Fenstermacher basket as the MVC deficit sank to 68-64 with 40-seconds to play.  Culver-Stockton added one last free throw, and a late turnover ended the game for Missouri Valley, as the Vikings fell by a final score of 69-64.

Reeter led with 23 points to go with four assists.  Fenstermacher had 16 points and six rebounds, while Ortiz added 11 points.  Missouri Valley held a 29-18 advantage in rebounds, and shot over 59-percent from the field.

Missouri Valley ends its season at 16-12 overall.  Culver-Stockton improves to 21-8 on the season.

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.