(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 13)--The McKendree University women's basketball team was defeated Sunday evening at home by the University of Missouri-St. Louis in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon.
 
The Bearcats built a 14-point lead late in the first half, but the visiting Tritons chipped away at the deficit and took the lead for good in the final four minutes. McKendree moves to 8-6 on the season and 2-3 in conference play. The four-game home stand for the Bearcats will continue Thursday evening when No. 3-ranked Drury University comes to town for another GLVC match-up. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.
 
Four McKendree players scored in double figures against UMSL. Junior forward Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional) led the quartet with 14 points, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the field against the Tritons. Sophomore guard Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) registered 12 points and four rebounds, while junior forward Shayli Florine (Galesburg, IL/Galesburg) came off the bench to add 11 points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Senior forward Jordan Morton (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) also reached double figures in the scoring column with 10 points for the Bearcats.
 
McKendree trailed for all but nine seconds in the first quarter in taking an 18-11 lead. The Bearcats hit 7-of-11 shots from the floor in the period (63.6 percent) while limiting UMSL to just 4-of-13 shooting in the first 10 minutes (30.8 percent). The Tritons battled back within 20-18 over the first three minutes of the second quarter before McKendree took control to close the first half. The Bearcats reeled off nine consecutive points to take its first double-digit lead of the contest, 29-18, with 4:16 left until the intermission. Diekhoff scored the final five points of the run. McKendree eventually pushed the advantage to 36-22 at halftime.
 
In the third quarter, McKendree maintained its cushion until UMSL made a run over the final few minutes of the period. The Tritons outscored the Bearcats 10-3 over the final 4:38 and shot 61.5 percent in the quarter (8-of-13) to battle within 50-43 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
 
Midway through the fourth quarter, UMSL scored 10 consecutive points to move in front to stay, 58-56, with 4:23 left. McKendree got as close as one point on two different occasions down the stretch, but the Tritons were able to fend off the Bearcats' rally, hitting eight free throws in the final 2:10 to gain a season split between the two programs. McKendree won the first contest 72-55 back on Nov. 29 in St. Louis.
 
Arielle Jackson led all scorers with 18 points for UMSL (8-7, 2-4 GLVC), while Kiara Stewart notched a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Tritons.