(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 9)—The McKendree University women's basketball team is off to the first 2-0 start in its NCAA Division II era thanks to an 84-77 victory over Tiffin University Saturday at the Prairie Stars Tip-Off Classic in Springfield, Ill.
 
Senior guard Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) poured in 26 points – finishing just one point shy of her career-high – to lead the way for the Bearcats. Junior guard Callie Pohlman (Appleton, WI/Appleton North) helped out with 15 points, three steals and a game-high eight assists for the Bearcats. Senior guard Madison Hart (Oak Creek, WI/Oak Creek) narrowly missed a double-double against the Dragons with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
McKendree fired from the gates quickly, scoring 10 of the first 11 points against Tiffin in a span of 3:28. The Bearcats took their first double-digit lead of the day on a basket by Hart with 2:28 left in the first quarter. Hart's jumper sparked a 7-0 run that saw McKendree extend its lead to 23-8.
 
In the second quarter, McKendree continued to add to its lead. The Bearcats also hit their free throws, going 8-of-9 from the stripe in the perod. Heberg sank three free throws with 5:33 left in the half to give McKendree its first 20-point cushion of the contest. The Bearcats pushed the margin to 22 points on two different occasions before taking a 47-27 lead into the locker room.
 
Tiffin (0-2) tried to rally back in the third quarter, shooting 63-6 percent from the floor (7-of-11), but could only shave one point off the McKendree lead as the Bearcats took a 68-49 advantage into the final period. The Dragons made a late run at McKendree, ripping off eight consecutive points to trim the margin to 79-71 with just over a minute to play. The Bearcats then held Tiffin at bay by hitting five free throws in the final 60 seconds to preserve the win.
 
The Bearcats' last 2-0 start in regular season play came during the 2011-12 season, when McKendree was in the midst of its transition toward NCAA Division II membership.
 
Danielle Bradley came off the bench to lead Tiffin with 18 points, while Aarion Nichols added 16 points and four assists.  

McKendree will travel to Fayette, Iowa, on Wednesday for a non-conference game at Upper Iowa University. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.