(Lebanon, Ill., Nov. 30) – The McKendree University women's basketball team will open Great Lakes Valley Conference play this week with a pair of home contests starting Thursday with a 5:30 p.m. tip off versus the University of Southern Indiana before wrapping up the week on Saturday with a 1 p.m. showdown against No. 5 Bellarmine University.
The Bearcats enter the weekend winners of four straight and boast an overall record of 4-1.
McKendree has been paced offensively by senior forward
Emily Pusheck (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) who leads the Bearcats in scoring with an average of 9.8 points per game to go with 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Fellow senior forward
Ellie Pusheck (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) is second on the team, averaging 7.4 points and 2.8 boards per game. Freshman forward
Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional ) and sophomore forward
Jordan Morton (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) each average seven plus points per game with Jensen averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds off the bench, while Morton has chipped in 7.0 points and 4.2 boards per game.
Senior guard
Shannon McGinnis (Niles, Ill./Trinity) leads the Bearcats in rebounding and assists and ranks in the top ten in the GLVC in both rebounds and assists to turnover ratio at 7.8 and 1.6 respectively, while freshman
Madison Hart (Oak Creek, WI/Oak Creek) is fifth in free throw percentage at .833.
ABOUT THE UNIVERISTY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA
The Screaming Eagles enter the weekend with a record of 5-1. Southern Indiana has four players who average double figures in scoring and are paced by and are paced by junior forward Kaydie Grooms who averages 14 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.33 steals per game. Senior guard Tanner Marcum, senior forward Hannah Wascher, and junior forward Morgan Dahlstrom have each put in over 10 points per game this season. The Screaming Eagles topped the Bearcats twice a season ago taking the first meeting on Dec. 3 by a score of 58-45 before a 53-50 decision on Feb. 20.
ABOUT BELLARMINE UNIVERSITY
The Knights come in as the defending GLVC Champions and enter the weekend 6-0 and rank fifth in the nation. Bellarmine is paced by senior forward Sarah Galvin who ranks fifth in the GLVC in scoring at 17.2 points per game to go with 8.0 rebounds. Junior guard Raven Merriweather adds 14.2 points and 2.2 steals per game for the Knights. Senior guard Destony Curry is the only other Knight to average double figures at 11 points per game. Bellarmine took both meetings from McKendree last season after a 64-49 win on Dec. 5 and a 68-58 win on Feb. 18.
