(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 4) – A dry spell late in the first half by the No. 16 McKendree University women's basketball team proved to be the deciding factor Thursday night in a 81-57 American Midwest Conference loss at No. 19 William Woods University.
McKendree, now 17-5 overall (7-2 AMC), will host Hannibal-LaGrange College in an AMC game on February 6 at 2 p.m.
Senior guard Haley Klingelhoefer (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) led McKendree with 13 points in the loss. Senior forward Jill Wolf (Okawville, Ill./Okawville) (Okawville, Ill./Okawville) had 10 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore forward Emily Woodland (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) and freshman Leann Voss (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) also both had 10 points.
Both teams battled back and forth early and McKendree led the contest 23-22 with just over seven minutes left in the first half, only for the Owls to go on an 18-0 run. The Bearcats ended the dry spell on a bucket by Wolf with 1:18 left in the half and entered the locker room with a 40-25 deficit at the break.
McKendree's woes continued in the second half with William Woods outscoring McKendree, 18-7, in the first seven minutes of the second half to take a 58-32 lead. The hosts held the Bearcats to 31.3 percent shooting in the second half to deal McKendree its fifth loss of the season and its second loss in the last 12 games.
Miranda Loesch led all players with 16 points, while Eshell Estrella had 15 points, all of which came in the first half. Rachel Baker and Jestine Gerber both had 13 points, while Baker also pulled down 17 rebounds.
-McK-
