(Decatur, Ill. – Dec. 5) – The McKendree women’s basketball team outscored host Millikin University in the second half Wednesday night, but a 10 point deficit at halftime proved to be too much to overcome and the Bearcats fell to the Big Blue 67-60.

 

Junior guard Kelsey Park (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) scored a career-high 19 points and freshman guard Ashley Agee (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) also contributed 11 points in the loss. The Bearcats are now 5-6 on the season and will host Washington University of St. Louis Friday night at 7 p.m.

 

A sluggish start by the Bearcats led to an 8-0 run by the Big Blue to start off the game. Millikin used steady scoring to build a fifteen point lead with nine minutes to go in the first half. The Bearcats would get as close as nine in the first half off back-to-back buckets by junior forward Emily Best (Wood River, Ill./East Alton-Wood River) (Wood River, Ill./East Alton-Wood River), but would trail 38-28 at the half. The Bearcats would cut Millikin’s lead to six on three occasions in the second half, but fell in the end 67-60.

 

The Bearcats shot 38.7-percent from the field in the game and 40-percent from behind the arc, but Millikin countered with a shooting percentage of 52.1-percent from the field to get the win. Millikin had three players score in double figures in the game. Kayla Pembrook led all players with 23 points and Lindsay Ippel scored 18 points. Both players combined to shoot 74-percent in the game. Kelley Steers also contributed 13 points for the Big Blue.