(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 11)—The McKendree women's basketball team overcame a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to post a 63-57 victory Thursday night against Maryville University.
 
The Bearcats closed the game on an 18-3 run over the final 6:48 of play to collect their second straight Great Lakes Valley Conference victory. McKendree, which has won five of its last six games, reaches the .500 mark on the season at 6-6 while improving to 2-3 in conference play. The Bearcats will make the short trip to St. Louis on Saturday to take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
 
Freshman guard Sydney Diekhoff came off the bench to lead McKendree with 16 points. Sophomore guard Madison Hart helped out with nine points and a game-high four assists. Sophomore guard Jordan Heberg and sophomore forward Megan Jensen each helped out with eight points, while junior forward Jordan Morton hauled in a game-high eight rebounds for the Bearcats.
 
Maryville (4-8, 1-5 GLVC) held a slim 44-43 lead to begin the fourth quarter, but opened the final period on a 10-2 run to grab its largest lead of the night at 54-45 with 6:48 remaining. Hart began the comeback for McKendree with a lay-up at the six-minute mark that sparked an 8-0 burst to help the Bearcats pull within 54-53 at the 3:58 mark. After the Saints' Stephanie Sherwood hit two free throws on the ensuing possession to stretch the Maryville lead back to three points, Heberg canned a three-pointer with 3:28 left to knot the score for the 12^th and final time of the contest at 56-56.
 
Sherwood hit one more free throw to give Maryville its last lead of the contest at 57-56 before McKendree took control. The Bearcats scored the final seven points over the last 3:11 of play to cap the rally. An offensive rebound and lay-up from senior guard Abby Smith (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) put McKendree in front to stay at 58-57. Diekhoff then hit a jumper on the Bearcats' next possession to push the margin to three points before Smith sank two key free throws with 1:25 to play to give McKendree a 62-57 advantage. Morton sealed the victory by hitting one final free throw with 11 seconds on the clock.
 
Over the last 6:48 of play, McKendree held Maryville without a field goal. The Saints missed their final six shots from the field as the Bearcats also forced four turnovers during the decisive stretch. For the game, McKendree limited Maryville to just 33.9 percent shooting (19-of-56).
 
In all, there were 12 ties and 15 lead changes in Thursday's contest. The Bearcats held the lead just one time in the first quarter at 7-6 when Heberg hit two free throws midway through the period. After Maryville held a 15-13 lead after 10 minutes of play, the teams battled back in forth for the balance of the second period. Morton sank a pair of free throws with just over a minute on the clock to give McKendree a 25-24 advantage before the Saints scored in the closing seconds to take a 26-25 lead into the intermission.
 
McKendree grabbed a 35-31 lead in the middle stages of the third quarter before the Saints fought back to forge a four-point lead of its own, 42-38, with 42 seconds remaining in the period. A lay-up from freshman guard Callie Pohlman was followed by a three-pointer from Diekhoff to give the Bearcats a 43-42 lead just 22 seconds later. Maryville then scored on its final possession of the quarter to regain a 44-43 advantage.
 
Kayla Steward led Maryville with 16 points, including 11 in the first half. Ali Ringering scored all 12 of her points in the second half for the Saints, while Amanda Ponce came off the bench to add 11 points. Sherwood finished with nine points and a team-leading six rebounds for Maryville.
 
Thursday's contest marked the first of two meetings this season between McKendree and Maryville. The teams will meet again Feb. 17 in St. Louis.