(LEBANON, Ill. – Jan. 15) – The McKendree women’s basketball team remain undefeated in American Midwest Conference play Tuesday night, defeating University of Illinois-Springfield 71-58.

 

Junior forward Julie Garrison (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) and freshman Ashley Agee (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) both topped the Bearcats with 15 points and four rebounds each. Senior guard Amanda Lance (Poplar Bluff, Mo./Twin Rivers) (Poplar Bluff, Mo./Twin Rivers) scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to record the double-double. Bethany Borrenpohl led the Prairie Stars with 15 points and Cherena Douglass had 12 points and ten rebounds in the loss.

 

Both teams traded the lead in the first half until the Prairie Stars took a 26-19 lead with 8 minutes left to play in the first half, only for the Bearcats to tie the game and take the lead three minutes later on two free throws by Lance. The Bearcats closed out the half on a seven point run to take a 38-31 lead into the half. McKendree remained hot heading into the second half and led by as many as 18, before trading baskets and coming away with a 13 point win.

 

The Prairie Stars edged the Bearcats in field goal percentage by shooting 44.9 percent in the game, but the Bearcats shot 38.5 percent from the line and 70 percent from beyond the arc for the victory. The Bearcats also forced 25 turnovers in the game and had 11 steals.

 

The Bearcats, 10-7 overall and 3-0 in the AMC, host Missouri Baptist University Saturday at 2 p.m.