GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. PURDUE NORTHWEST -- Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, Noon
The Recreation and Athletic Complex -- Springfield, Ill.

McKENDREE vs. TIFFIN -- Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, Noon
The Recreation and Athletic Complex -- Springfield, Ill.

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(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 7)—The beginning of the 2019-20 McKendree University women's basketball season will have a very similar look to the Bearcats' openers from a year ago.
 
The site will be different as McKendree makes the short trip to Springfield, Ill., to participate in the Prairie Stars Tipoff Classic Friday and Saturday. For the second straight year, the Bearcats will face the same two opponents – in the same order – as they did to open the 2018-19 campaign. McKendree will begin the regular season Friday by taking on Purdue University Northwest. The Bearcats will then wrap up the weekend Saturday by facing Tiffin University. Both games are set to begin at noon.
 
Last season, McKendree split its two games with the programs, defeating host Purdue Northwest in overtime to kick off the year before falling late to Tiffin at the back end of the Dworkin Classic in Westville, Ind. The Bearcats went on to post a 13-15 overall record and 7-11 mark in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. McKendree made its third GLVC Tournament appearance in four years under head coach Kari Kerkhoff.
 
McKendree has already taken the court twice this season, with exhibition games last weekend at Saint Louis University and Indiana University. The Bearcats came out strong defensively at Saint Louis, trailing just 24-21 at the intermission. McKendree will have one more exhibition game during the 2019-20 campaign, which will come at home on Dec. 13 against Columbia College.
 
The top four scorers return for McKendree this season, led by junior guard Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) (15.8 PPG) and senior guard Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) (10.8 PPG). Senior forwards Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional) (9.5 PPG) and Shayli Florine (Galesburg, IL/Galesburg) (7.4 PPG) round out the list of top returning scorers for the Bearcats. Senior guard Madison Hart (Oak Creek, WI/Oak Creek) is the team's top returning rebounder at 5.6 RPG. McKendree also returns the junior guard Callie Pohlman (Appleton, WI/Appleton North), who led the Bearcats with 99 assists a year ago.
 
In addition to bringing back 10 letterwinners which includes four starters, Kerkhoff added a key newcomer in junior guard Madison Jones (Abingdon, IL/Abiingdon-Avon). She averaged 14.4 points and three rebounds as a sophomore at Lincoln Land Community College.
 
Following the two games at the Prairie Stars Tipoff Classic, McKendree will have one more road contest at Upper Iowa University on Nov. 13 before opening the home portion of the 2019-20 schedule on Sunday, Nov. 17 against Missouri Southern State University.
 
ABOUT PURDUE NORTHWEST
The Pride was just 3-23 last season with a 1-19 record in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. New head coach Courtney Locke will turn to seniors Shae Rhonehouse and Bayley Goodman to lead the way for Purdue Northwest this season. Goodman connected for 8.9 PPG last season while Rhonehouse chipped in 7.8 PPG.
 
In last year's contest, McKendree raced to a 15-0 lead, but Purdue Northwest chipped away at the deficit, and a shot from Goodman just before the buzzer sent the game into overtime tied at 62-62. In the extra period, Diekhoff scored on a lay-up to break a 69-69 deadlock to spark a game-ending 6-0 run for the Bearcats. Diekhoff dropped in 27 points and added 10 rebounds to lead the way for McKendree. Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional) was 5-of-6 from the field on her way to 12 points.
 
ABOUT TIFFIN
The Dragons went 11-17 overall and 8-14 in GLIAC play a year ago. Sophomore guard Aarion Nichols and junior wing Jensen Hiegel are the top two returning scorers for Tiffin. Nichols was third on the team last season at 9.2 PPG and six rebounds per game, while Hiegel contributed eight points per outing.
 
McKendree held a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter last season against Tiffin, but the Dragons roared back to grab a 76-74 victory in the closing seconds against the Bearcats. Tiffin outscored McKendree 8-2 over the last 23 seconds to rally for the win. The Bearcats had all five starters score in double figures in the contest, led by Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) with 17 points, while Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional) added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.