Box Score

(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 22)- The McKendree University women's basketball team held Blackburn College to only 15 first half points on Tuesday evening in a 82-42 win.

The Bearcats improved to 6-2 overall and will host the McKendree Thanksgiving Classic on November 25-26 at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. McKendree will play Saint Xavier University at 7 p.m. on Friday, and Robert Morris University-Chicago on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Freshman guard Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) and junior forward Jessica Steinmetz (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) led all players with 15 points apiece, while junior guard Brittany Willis (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South) also scored in double-figures with 14 points. Freshman guard Haeley Kreisel (Warsaw, Mo./Warsaw) and freshman forward Danielle Amann-Stewart (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) both narrowly missed double-figures with nine points and eight points, respectively.

Blackburn struck first with a jumper 20-seconds into the contest, but a jumper by Willis tied the game, 2-2, 1:46 into the game and the Bearcats didn't look back for the remainder of the contest. Amann-Stewart hit a jumper with 10:46 left in the half to cap off a 15-0 run that put the Bearcats ahead 15-2, and another jumper by Amann-Stewart six minutes later gave McKendree its largest lead of the half, 27-6,  with 4:17 left in the half. McKendree remained in control over the final minutes of the half and carried a 35-15 edge at the break.

McKendree continued to hold its edge in the second half and held its largest lead of the game, 74-31, following a three-pointer by Ponce with 6:36 left in the game. The Bearcats held Blackburn to six field goals in the second half, including only one three-pointer, to earn to their sixth win.

Rashonda Willis and Briana Rae led Blackburn with 12 and 10 points, respectively.