(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 11)—The McKendree University women's basketball team saw its five-game winless streak come to an end Monday night with a 64-51 victory at home over Kentucky State University.
Trailing 35-27 at the half, the Bearcats put together a dominant performance in the third quarter to take the lead for good and register the 13-point triumph. McKendree improves to 2-5 on the year and will have a week off during finals to prepare for its final game of the first half of the 2017-18 campaign. The Bearcats will host Northwest Missouri State University next Monday, Dec. 18, with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
Senior forward
Shauniera Wilson (Springfield, Ill./Southeast) registered career-highs in both points and rebounds, netting a game-high 18 points while pulling down nine rebounds to lead the way for McKendree. Wilson also added a pair of blocked shots against the Thorobrettes. She scored 12 of her 18 points after halftime. Freshman guard Sydney Diekhoff came off the bench to add 12 points, which included a trio of three-point field goals. Junior forward Jordan Morton matched Wilson with nine rebounds to share team-high honors for the Bearcats.
Kentucky State (2-9) used a 10-2 run over the final four minutes of the first half to build a 35-27 lead at the intermission. The Thorobrettes limited the Bearcats to just one field goal during that span. After shooting just 32.3 percent in the first 20 minutes of play (10-of-31), McKendree connected on its first five shots in the third quarter to move in front for good at 41-37 with 6:24 left in the period. The opening outburst was part of a 20-2 run in the first eight minutes of the quarter as the Bearcats extended the margin to 47-37 with 1:55 on the clock. McKendree eventually pushed its lead to as many as 12 points in the quarter before taking a 51-40 bulge into the fourth quarter.
In addition to its offensive explosion in the period, McKendree forced 10 Kentucky State turnovers in the decisive third quarter. The Bearcats turned those 10 Thorobrettes' turnovers into 10 points on the offensive end.
The Bearcats' lead never dipped below seven points in the fourth quarter as McKendree continued to ride its defensive effort. In the second half, Kentucky State shot just 28.6 percent (6-of-21) and committed 16 of its 24 turnovers in the final 20 minutes of play.
McKendree's 24-point outburst in the third quarter against Kentucky State was the second-highest scoring output in any quarter this season by the Bearcats. McKendree posted 28 points in the first quarter of the team's Nov. 11 season opener at home against Blackburn College.
Wynter Webb was the lone Kentucky State player to score in double figures with 10 points. Brooke Wallace pulled down a team-leading nine rebounds while Lyndsey Downing registered four assists and a pair of steals for the Thorobrettes.
