POST-GAME INTERVIEWS

(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 17)—The McKendree University women's basketball team collected its second straight non-conference home win Saturday afternoon with a 61-54 triumph over Davenport University.
 
The Bearcats turned 12 offensive rebounds into 14 points during the contest, holding a 14-2 edge in second-chance points that played a big role in the win. McKendree improves to 3-1 on the year and will open up a three-game road trip Wednesday evening at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.
 
Sophomore guard Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to lead the way for McKendree. Junior guard Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) also had a big second half for the Bearcats, netting 12 of her 17 points after halftime for the Bearcats. Senior forward Jordan Morton (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds in the win, while freshman guard Jenna Krause (Seymour, WI/Seymour) produced nine points and team-leading totals of four assists and four steals for McKendree.
 
The teams battled back and forth during the first quarter as McKendree led for the majority of the period. Davenport (1-2) cut the Bearcats' lead to just one point in the closing seconds before Heberg was fouled on a three-point attempt just before the buzzer to end the period. Heberg sank all three free throws to give McKendree an 18-14 lead heading in the second quarter.
 
Midway through the second period, McKendree reeled off seven consecutive points to build its largest lead of the afternoon at 28-17 with 5:13 remaining until halftime. The Panthers answered by scoring the final 11 points of the half to pull even at 28-28.
 
Heberg was the difference-maker for the Bearcats in the quarter, scoring half of the team's 20 points in the period. She connected on a three-pointer on the Bearcats' first possession of the third quarter to put McKendree in front at 31-28. Heberg later added three more free throws at the 6:13 mark to cap a 7-2 burst that stretched the Bearcats' lead out to 40-32.
 
Davenport battled back once again, scoring the next eight points to knot the contest at 40-40 The teams traded baskets before a lay-up from junior forward Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional) sparked a 6-1 run to finish off the quarter as the Bearcats took a 48-32 lead into the final period.
 
McKendree turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, limiting the Panthers to just 21.1 percent shooting (4-of-19). The Bearcats never relinquished the lead, stretching its margin to 57-50 on a Diekhoff three-pointer with 2:22 remaining. Davenport pulled as close as five points down the stretch, but McKendree hit four free throws in the final 46 seconds to seal the win, including two by Diekhoff with eight seconds remaining.
 
Jenna Falkenberg led Davenport with 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Martyna Pioro contributed 15 points for the Panthers.