(COLUMBIA, Mo., Jan. 14) – Junior guard Katie Fullerton (Coulterville, Ill./Coulterville) (Coulterville, Ill./Marissa) scored a career-high 24 points for the No. 14 McKendree University Bearcats, but the No. 8 Columbia College Cougars shot 50-percent from the field in the contest to deal McKendree its first American Midwest Conference loss of the season, 83-59.
The No. 14 Bearcats, now 12-4 overall (2-1 AMC), will host Missouri Baptist University at 2 p.m., on Saturday at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
Fullerton's 24 points led all players and junior guard Ashley Agee (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) (Moberly, Mo./Moberly) scored 14 points to round out McKendree's double-digit scoring. Fullerton also had eight rebounds in the contest.
The first half had four lead changes, but the Bearcats were outscored 13-5 in the final five minutes of the half to trail 41-30 at the break. The Cougars had the hot hand in the second half, shooting 46.9 percent from the field compared to McKendree's 39.3 percent. The Cougars sank five three-pointers in second half to pull away from the Bearcats, who only made one three-pointer in the second half and was 3-10 from beyond the arc in the game.
The Cougars had four score in double figures and were led by Rachel Oswald's 20 points and 12 rebounds. Veronica Smith had 19 points, while Whitney Widaman and Denise Rosario had 14 and 10 points, respectively.
-McK-
