(ST. JOSEPH, Mo., Nov. 29)—The McKendree University women's basketball team saw its season-opening four-game win streak come to an end in dramatic fashion Friday night in a 52-50 loss at Missouri Western State University in day one action of the Fairfield Inn Classic.
Missouri Western's Tamia Cunigan hit a lay-up as time expired to grab the win in a contest that featured seven ties and eight lead changes. Cunigan's game-winner tempered the Bearcats' enthusiasm just 12 seconds earlier when senior guard
Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) drained a three-point shot to knot the contest at 50-50.
McKendree, now 4-1 on the season, will wrap up their stay in St. Joseph, Mo., with a Saturday afternoon contest against Northwest Missouri State University. Tip-off is slated for 1:30 p.m.
Heberg was the lone Bearcat to scoring in double figures with 12 points. Senior guard
Madison Hart (Oak Creek, WI/Oak Creek) and sophomore guard
Jenna Krause (Seymour, WI/Seymour) each contributed eight points, while Hart added team-high totals of eight rebounds and three steals.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Bearcats held a 38-35 lead. Senior forward
Brianna Johnson (Lodi, WI/Beaver Dam) hit a lay-up on McKendree's first possession of the final period to extend the margin to five points. Missouri Western chipped away at the deficit and pulled even at 46-46 on a free throw with 2:32 on the clock. After junior guard
Callie Pohlman (Appleton, WI/Appleton North) hit one of two free throws at the 1:30 mark to push the Bearcats back in front at 47-46, the Griffons scored the next four points to move back in front at 50-47 with 16 seconds to play.
Following a timeout, Pohlman worked the ball to Heberg, who drained her game-tying three-pointer just four ticks after play resumed. That set the stage for Cunigan's last-second heroics.
McKendree slugged its way to a 9-6 lead after the first quarter by holding Missouri Western without a point for more than five minutes and limiting the Griffons to 21.4 percent shooting in the period. Missouri Western then shot 56.3 percent in the second quarter to grab a 29-24 lead at the intermission. The Bearcats turned up the defensive pressure again in the third quarter, holding the hosts to just six points once again in the period as McKendree surged back in front.
For the game, McKendree held Missouri Western (4-1) to just 33.3 percent shooting from the floor (21-of-63). The Griffons were also 4-of-12 from the foul line. Kyra Hogan led a balanced attack for Missouri Western with 11 points, while Katrina Roenfeldt added 10 points and Chris Wilson pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
