(ST. LOUIS, Mo., March 2)- The McKendree University women's basketball team had its season and run in the American Midwest Conference come to a close on Wednesday night after a loss in the AMC Tournament quarterfinals at Missouri Baptist University, 76-64.

The Bearcats end their season with an overall record of 12-18 and marks only the second time McKendree has had a sub-.500 record since the 1997-98 season. In the fall, McKendree announced that it would be leaving the American Midwest Conference at the end of the 2010-11 academic year after being accepted into NCAA Division II. The Bearcats are currently in the first year of their transition.

Freshman guard Brittany Willis (St. Louis, Mo., Parkway South) led McKendree with 18 points, while sophomore forwards Courtney Harris (St. Louis, Mo., St. Joseph Academy) and Shelby Woelfel (Jerseyville, Ill., Jerseyville) scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. Senior guards Katie Fullerton (Coulterville, Ill., Coulterville) and Kasie Frazier (Lebanon, Ill., Lebanon) ended their playing careers at McKendree after the conclusion of the contest. Fullerton had seven points and Frazier scored two points. Fullerton ended her career in 10th place all-time for the Bearcats with 1,200 points.

Both teams traded baskets in the early going, before the Spartans went on a 10-0 run that proved to be the difference in the first half with McKendree trailing, 33-23. The Bearcats cut Missouri Baptist's lead to single digits in the second half, but couldn't manage to take a lead and fell in the end, 76-64.

Megan Payton led all players with 19 points for the Spartans, while Ashley Johnson had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Alexis Rhodes and Andrea Seabaugh contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively.