The Thunder men's basketball team hosted Missouri Valley College in their 2025-26 home opener on Saturday afternoon. This would be the first ever meeting between the Thunder and the Vikings. The Thunder would jump out early with a 5-0 lead to start the half and would lead by as much as six in the early going. The Vikings would slowly wear down the Thunder as the Thunder would be outscored 10-4 in the final four minutes of the half. The Thunder would have costly live ball turnovers that led to 13 points for the Vikings in the first half and a 33-26 deficit after 20 minutes. The Vikings would pull ahead and hold a 10-point lead with just over 11 minutes left in the game. An and-1 by sophomore, Tatum Pierce would make the score 52-50 with just under five minutes to play. Missed shots and some turnovers down the stretch would be the difference and the Thunder would drop their home opener, 65-59. Junior, Hunter Hill and Pierce would each have 16 points a piece, while Pierce would also grab eight rebounds. Senior, Fred Criqui would have a near double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, to go along with two blocks. The Thunder would shoot 30.4% from the field, 18.5% from the three-point line, and 57.1% from the free throw line. With the loss, the Thunder are now 2-1 on the season.

The Thunder will be at home for their next game on Tuesday, November 11th where they will host Central Christian College (KS) at 7:00PM at the Howie's Activity Center.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.