(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 28)—The McKendree College women’s basketball team improved to 5-2 on the season with a 71-58 home victory Tuesday against Culver-Stockton College.

 

Senior forward Emily Hart (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) became the fifth player in program history to reach the 1,500-point mark for a career as she scored a team-high 19 points in the victory. Hart, a three-year starter for the Bearcats, now has 1,503 points at McKendree.

 

The Bearcats also used a strong defensive effort to post the non-conference victory over the Wildcats. McKendree forced 28 Culver-Stockton turnovers, including 17 in the first half. The Bearcats also had 12 steals in the contest, with eight different players recording at least one steal.

 

McKendree broke open a close game in the first half by scoring 11 consecutive points to build a 28-12 advantage with 7:59 remaining in the period. The Bearcats pushed the margin to as many as 17 points in the half before taking a 40-27 lead at the intermission. McKendree shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) in the first 20 minutes and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

 

Junior forward Heather Elders (Energy, Ill./Herrin) (Energy, Ill./Herrin) chipped in with 15 points for McKendree, while senior guard Katie Hasheider (Okawville, Ill./Okawville) (Okawville, Ill./Okawville) dished out a team-best eight assists. Hart and Elders each grabbed a team-leading five rebounds for the Bearcats.

 

Forward Stephanie Kramer led Culver-Stockton (2-5) with 17 points, while Sara Reddick came off the bench to post 11 points. Kristin Allen contributed 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Wildcats.

 

McKendree will be in Davenport, Iowa, on Thursday for a non-conference game at St. Ambrose University. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.