(ST. LOUIS, Mo., Nov. 19) – The McKendree University Bearcats won their third straight game on Thursday night after defeating the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 65-63, on the road.
McKendree, 5-2 overall, will travel to Decatur, Ill., to play Millikin University on November 24th at 5 p.m.
Junior guard Ashley Agee (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) led all players with 14 points and seven rebounds and freshman forward Courtney Harris (Wildwood, Mo./St. Joseph Academy) (St. Louis, Mo./Saint Joseph's Academy) had a career-high 13 points.
The host scored the first bucket of the game, but McKendree raced out to a 12-4 lead behind seven points in the first five and a half minutes of the contest by Harris. The Tritons tied the game on a three-pointer by Kelly Carter with seven minutes left in the first half, only for the Bearcats to retake the lead on a free throw by Harris. McKendree outscored Missouri-St. Louis, 10-6, in the final seven minutes of the first half to lead 30-25 at the break.
The host Tritons came out strong from the half and tied the game 33-33 with 14:52 left in the second half, before taking a three point lead on a layup and free throw by Caitlyn Moody. After tying the game on a layup and free throw by Agee, McKendree made back-to-back three-pointers to take a 44-38 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Two-straight layup's by senior forward Jill Wolf (Okawville, Ill./Okawville) (Okawville, Ill./Okawville) helped McKendree take an eight point lead, 57-49, with four minutes left in the contest. Back-to-back three-pointers by the Tritons' Carter cut the McKendree lead to 62-60 with just over a minute to play and a layup by Hailey Deckard tied the game with 36-seconds left in the game. A jumper by senior guard Haley Klingelhoefer (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) gave the Bearcats a 64-62 lead with 15 seconds left and following a free throw by each team, the Bearcats came away with the 65-63 victory.
Kristi White led the Tritons with 13 points and Kelly Carter had 12 points.
-McK-
