Women's Basketball Overcomes Deficit, Defeats Viterbo

Canton, Mo., (Nov. 2, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College women's basketball team finished play at the Culver Classic in Canton, Mo., with a Saturday afternoon game against Viterbo (Wisc.).  The Vikings overcame a halftime deficit to win, 63-60.

The game started with both teams trading points through much of play in the first quarter.  Senior Ylenia Exposito (Tenerife, Canary Islands) sank a three-pointer for the first points of the game for the Vikings, followed by one free throw made from Senior Noa Fernandez (Castaneda, Spain), and a three-pointer by Senior Giavanna Moore (Independence, Mo.) to put the team in front, 7-6, with just over four minutes off the clock.  Exposito added a layup, and Junior Sophie Sullivan (Lombard, Ill.) put in a three-point shot to make it a 12-10 score at the four-minute mark.  Exposito scored the final points of the quarter for MVC, but Viterbo went into the second quarter in front, 15-14.

The Viking deficit grew early in the second quarter, out to a 19-14 score with just over one minute played.  Sullivan ended the drought for MVC with a basket, but Viterbo stretched out its lead to 23-16 midway through the quarter.  Moore scored the next seven points for Missouri Valley over a one-minute stretch to work the team back to a 26-23 score near the three-minute mark.  Viterbo responded, and scored five-straight points to stay on top, 31-23.  Freshman Mackenzie Mills (Kansas City, Mo.) came up with a steal, which led to another field goal from Exposito, and Moore sank a pair of free throws to help MVC trim down the deficit.  However, Viterbo held a 32-27 advantage going into halftime.

Viterbo added to its lead at the start of the third quarter, eventually moving ahead by double-digits, 38-27, with two minutes played.  The first points of the quarter for MVC came on a jumper from Exposito nearly three minutes into action.  Mills added a three-pointer, and Senior Rajone Callahan (Wichita, Kan.) put in a layup to bring the team into a 38-35 deficit with less than six minutes remaining on the clock.  Moore capped a 10-0 run for the Vikings with a pair of free throws, as the team now trailed, 38-37, midway through the quarter.  A three-pointer from Moore nearly two minutes later brought the teams into a 40-40 tie, and a layup from Junior Sara Ortiz (La Roda, Spain) just past the three-minute mark put Missouri Valley on top, 42-41.  The advantage grew to 45-41 on a three-point shot from Junior Maleigha Landers (Fort Worth, Kan.), but Viterbor cut its gap down to 45-44 going into the fourth quarter of play.  

The fourth quarter started with a 6-0 run for Viterbo in the opening two minutes to put the team ahead once again, 50-45.  Moore made two from the free throw line for the first Vikings points, but the team eventually trailed, 52-47, at the eight-minute mark.  Sophomore Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia, Mo.) cut into the deficit with a layup, and baskets from both Exposito and Ortiz worked the team back into a 54-54 tie as the game went under four minutes remaining.  After a Viterbo free throw broke the deadlock, baskets from Exposito and Fernadnez, along with a free throw by Bostick gave MVC a 59-57 lead with less than three minutes to play.  Fernandez came up with a steal, which led to a layup from Ortiz to put the advantage at 61-57 at the two-minute mark.  Viterbo got to within a 61-60 score, but the Vikings forced a late turnover, and Exposito made a pair from the free throw line.  A late three-point attempt missed, and Ortiz came down with the rebound to finish out a 63-60 victory for Missouri Valley.

Moore led with 19 points and five rebounds, while Exposito totaled 17 points and six rebounds.  Missouri Valley held a 43-34 advantage in rebounds, and forced 19 turnovers.  

Missouri Valley improves to 2-0, while Viterbo drops to 1-1.

Up next, the Viking women's basketball team will travel to St. Louis, Mo., to play Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Mo.) in a non-conference game, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.

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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.