Women's Basketball Suffers Home Loss to Baker

Marshall, Mo., (Jan. 17, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's basketball teams welcomed in Baker (Kan.) for a Wednesday night Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The women's team fell by a 60-49 final score, while the men's team led throughout most of the game to earn an 83-72 victory.

The women's game started with a pair of early three-pointers from Junior Rajone Callahan (Wichita, Kan.) to help put Missouri Valley in front with three minutes played, 6-4.  Freshman Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) kept MVC on top with a layup one minute later to make it an 8-6 score.  The Vikings went scoreless over the next four minutes of play as Baker moved ahead, 10-8.  Bostick ended the drought with another layup, while Junior Kiara Williams (Shawnee, Kan.) tacked on another late field goal, but the Wildcats carried a 16-12 advantage into the second quarter.

Baker added to its lead early in the second quarter, holding a 20-14 advantage with two minutes off the clock.  Missouri Valley went scoreless through a long stretch of play in the quarter, as the deficit grew to 25-14 at the four-minute mark.  Callahan put points on the board with a pair of free throws, then followed with a three-pointer.  Junior Noa Fernandez (Castaneda, Spain) came up with a steal and a fast-break layup, then added a jumper to cut the gap down to 27-25 with just over one minute to play in the half.  Baker added one more basket before the end of the quarter, and the Vikings trailed, 29-25 going into halftime.

The third quarter featured an early layup and three made free throws from Sophomore Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) to put the Vikings on top at 30-29 with just over one minute played after the break.  The Wildcats briefly went in front, but Callahan responded with an offensive rebound and layup to tie the teams at 32-32 just past the seven-minute mark.  Missouri Valley went scoreless over the next three minutes of play, as BU moved ahead, 37-32.  Sophomore Mackenzie Mann (Oak Grove, Mo.) broke the drought with a layup, and Sophomore Tyler Conkright (Ellington, Mo.) tied the score again with a three-point as the quarter neared the two-minute mark.  Conkright added a pair of free throws and Bostick put in a layup in the closing moments, but a three-pointer at the buzzer from Baker sent the Vikings into a 45-41 deficit at the end of the quarter.

Missouri Valley was held without a point through six minutes of play to start the fourth quarter, and eventually trailed, 51-41.  Sullivan put in a layup for the first basket of the quarter, and Conkright added a three-pointer to make it 53-46 with just over three minutes remaining.  Sullivan sank a three-point field goal just over one minute later, to make it 54-49, but Baker pulled away from there as Missouri Valley fell, 60-49.

Callahan led with her first career double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds.  Sullivan added 10 points and four rebounds.  Missouri Valley held a 41-37 advantage in rebounds and forced 16 turnovers.

Missouri Valley drops to 9-8 overall and 6-7 in the Heart.  Baker improves to 3-15 on the season and 3-11 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking basketball teams will travel to Lamoni, Iowa, for a Heart doubleheader with Graceland (Iowa), Saturday.  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

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.