(LEBANON, Ill. – Jan. 19) – The McKendree women’s basketball team improved to 11-7 in American Midwest Conference after defeating Missouri Baptist University 73-66 Saturday afternoon.

 

Senior forward Suzy Gerler (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) topped the Bearcats with a career-high 18 points and senior Amanda Lance (Poplar Bluff, Mo./Twin Rivers) (Poplar Bluff, Mo./Twin Rivers) recorded her second-straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Ashley Agee (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) also had 12 points in the win.

 

Both teams traded buckets back and forth in the early going, before the Bearcats went up by 10 points on a layup by Lance with eight minutes left in the half. Both teams continued to trade baskets and the Bearcats kept their ten point lead heading into the half. The Bearcats didn’t let the Spartans get too close in the second half, and led by as many as 13 after junior forward Emily Best (Wood River, Ill./East Alton-Wood River) (Wood River, Ill./Wood River-East Alton) scored with four minutes to go. The game would get as close five, but two free throws by Gerler with 15-seconds left gave the Bearcats the seven point victory.

 

The Bearcats, now 11-7 overall and 4-0 in the AMC, have won five straight games and will take their hot-streak to St. Louis, Mo., Tuesday night to play Harris-Stowe State University. Both teams are sit atop the AMC standings with perfect 4-0 records. The Bearcats played Harris-Stowe three times last season, losing twice to the Hornets. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.