(LEBANON, Ill., – Feb. 21) – The McKendree University women's basketball team went on a 12-0 run over the last 2:19 Saturday to defeat Hannibal-LaGrange College 61-51.

McKendree improved to 16-10 overall (8-6 AMC) and Hannibal-LaGrange fell to 11-16 overall (8-6 AMC). The Bearcats will host Brescia University for their last regular season home game of the 2008-09 season Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Senior forward Emily Best (Wood River, Ill./East Alton-Wood River) (Wood River, Ill./East Alton-Wood River) led all players with 22 points and nine rebounds. Senior guard Kelsey Park (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) had 11 points and six steals in the win, giving her 104 steals on the season. The single season school record for steals at McKendree is 116. Michiko Namba led the Trojans with 12 points and Abby Rankin contributed 11 points. Nicole Beckerman also pulled down 10 rebounds for Hannibal-LaGrange in the loss.

Both teams battled back and forth in the first half, until a jumper by Best put the Bearcats up 14-12 with 8:13 left in the first half. A jumper by Park with 3:43 left in the first half put McKendree up 23-17 and the Bearcats led 28-23 at the break.

The Trojans took the lead with 7:23 left in the second half on a three-pointer by Namba and led 51-49 with 3:21 remaining in the game, before the Bearcats went on a 12-point run for the win.

-McK-