Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 3)- The McKendree University women's basketball pulled within one with 18 seconds remaining on Friday, but were unable to gain the lead in a 69-63 loss to University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The Bearcats fall to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with the loss and will host Maryville University in a conference matchup on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 1 p.m.

Junior guard Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) had 20 points and a team-high five assists in the loss. Sophomore forward Kara Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Principia) had a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.

McKendree had an 8-6 edge early before rattling off six straight points to jump out to a 14-6 lead at the 13:10 mark of the first half. A jumper by Ponce gave the Bearcats their first double-digit lead of the game, 18-8, at the 11:48 mark, but the Tritons battled back and took a 32-28 lead into the half.

A three-pointer by sophomore guard Liz Gilman (St. Louis, Mo./Principia) and a jumper by senior guard Brittany Willis (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South) on back-to-back possessions to open up the second half put McKendree back in front, 33-32, only for the Tritons to regain the lead, 37-33, with 15:44 remaining. A three-pointer by Ponce cut the deficit to 37-36, but UMSL went on a 12-0 run to jump out to a 49-36 lead at the 11:18 mark.

A Triton free throw extended their lead to 57-43 with just over six minutes to play, but the Bearcats scored nine-straight to cut their deficit to single-digits, 57-52, with under four minutes to play. A three by Willis, her first of the season, brought McKendree within one, 64-63, with 18 seconds left in the game, but UMSL went 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch to earn the 69-63 win.

Alyssa Like led the Tritons with 20 points, while Devonna Smith and Hazaria Washington each had 13 points.