GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE at DRURY -- Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, 1 p.m.
O'Reilly Events Center -- Springfield, Mo.
WATCH LIVE (Drury Broadcast)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
DRURY SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 30)--The McKendree University women's basketball squad will travel to Springfield, Mo., on Saturday to begin its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule at Drury University. The Bearcats will square off against the No. 9-ranked Panthers Saturday at 1 p.m. at the O'Reilly Events Center.
McKendree enters GLVC play with a 1-3 overall record. The Bearcats cut a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit down to just four points inside the final minute Tuesday evening at Lindenwood University before the host Lions held on for a 77-68 win. Madison Hart led a balanced attack for McKendree with 14 points, including a 7-of-8 effort from the free throw line. Jordan Heberg added 13 points while Jordan Morton came off the bench to post 11 points. Morton and Hart each had a team-best eight rebounds at Lindenwood.
Through four games, Heberg is the lone McKendree player averaging in double figures in the scoring column at 13 PPG. Hart is next at 9.5 PPG, while Callie Pohlman is third in scoring at 8.5 PPG.
Shauniera Wilson (Springfield, Ill./Southeast) leads the Bearcats in field goal percentage, hitting on 55 percent of her tries from the floor, while Shayli Florine is close behind at 54.2 percent. Wilson is the leading rebounder for McKendree at five per outing, and Hart is next at 4.8 per game.
Following the Drury game, McKendree will play its next three contests in the friendly confines of the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. The Bearcats will host Truman State University in the GLVC home opener next Thursday (Dec. 7) at 5:30 p.m. That evening, McKendree will be hosting a fundraiser for those affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The Bearcat program will be collecting donations of clothing, money, water and non-perishables to assist those still without basic necessities.
ABOUT DRURY
The Panthers are currently ranked No. 9 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll. Drury is 5-1 on the season, and has won all three of its home games entering Thursday's meeting with the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The Panthers are averaging 81.8 points per game, which is good for second in the GLVC. Four players average in double figures for Drury, led by Alice Heinzler at 16.3 points per game. Heinzler, who is shooting 94.4 percent from the foul line (17-of-18), also tops the team with 20 steals. Hailey Diestelkamp is posting 13 points a game while pacing the Panthers in rebounding at 7.0 per outing. Heather Harman, who averages 12.8 points a game, has handed out a team-leading 20 assists in six games.
Last season, Drury defeated McKendree 64-46 on Feb. 9, 2017 in Springfield, Mo. Jordan Heberg, Madison Hart and Megan Jensen shared team-high scoring honors for the Bearcats with seven points each.
