GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. BELLARMINE -- Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
Statham Center -- Lebanon, Ill.

WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
BELLARMINE SEASON STATISTICS
GLVC STATISTICS

McKENDREE vs. SOUTHERN INDIANA -- Saturday, March 2, 2019, 1 p.m. (SENIOR DAY)
Statham Center -- Lebanon, Ill.

WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
SOUTHERN INDIANA SEASON STATISTICS
GLVC STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 27)--The McKendree University women's basketball team will look to make its final push for a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament berth by hosting Bellarmine University and the University of Southern Indiana in the final contests of the 2018-19 regular season. The Bearcats will face Bellarmine Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before Southern Indiana comes to the Statham Center for Senior Day on Saturday at 1 p.m.

McKendree grabbed a key victory in its last outing on Saturday at home against the University of Illinois Springfield, 73-60. The Bearcats trailed by two points heading into the final period before outscoring the visiting Prairie Stars 24-9 to close the contest and earn a season split against UIS. Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) led all scorers with 22 points -- 10 of which came in the fourth quarter -- while Megan Jensen (Union, MO/Saint Francis Borgia Regional) matched a career-high with 19 points in the effort. Callie Pohlman (Appleton, WI/Appleton North) dished out a career-best 11 assists against the Prairie Stars. 

Saturday's win gave McKendree an overall record of 13-12 and a 7-9 mark in GLVC play. The Bearcats currently sit in the No. 7 position in the GLVC Point Ranking System, which is used to determine the eight teams who will advance to the GLVC Tournament March 7-10 in Edwardsville, Ill. 

Diekhoff continues to lead McKendree in scoring at 14.6 PPG. Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) is the only other Bearcats averaging in double figures at 11.2 PPG. Diekhoff sits seventh in the GLVC in scoring, while she is sixth among all conference players -- and 35th in NCAA Division II -- in free throw percentage at .848. Jensen is fourth in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 54.9 percent of her attempts from the floor. Pohlman has moved up to fifth in the GLVC in assists, averaging 3.64 per contest. With 91 assists entering the week, Pohlman has tied the Bearcats' single-season mark in the program's NCAA Division II era that dates back to 2012-13. She needs nine more assists to become the first McKendree women's player with at least 100 assists in a year since Katie Fullerton registered 116 back in 2010-11.

Prior to Saturday's game with Southern Indiana, McKendree will honor its two seniors -- forward Jordan Morton (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) and student manager Kelsey Smith. Morton is a four-year member of the Bearcats' program, and currently sits in eighth place on the team's career rebounding list with 663. Smith has been a three-year member of the McKendree program. 

ABOUT BELLARMINE
The Knights bring a 14-10 overall record and 8-8 GLVC mark into Thursday's contest. Bellarmine had a four-game win streak snapped on Saturday with a 78-77 loss at home against Lewis University. The Knights missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer after mounting a comeback from a 20-point deficit against the visiting Flyers. Mikayla Berry led the way with 22 points for Bellarmine, while Presley Brown chipped in with 10 points.

Berry is the lone Bellarmine player averaging in double digits at 11.3 PPG. Lauren Deel and Liza Tibbs each contribute 8.7 PPG. Ally Mayhaus is the Knights' leading rebounder at 5.4 RPG, while Breia Torrens has posted team-leading totals of 60 assists and 40 steals. 

McKendree and Bellarmine played a little less than two weeks ago back on Feb. 16 in Louisville. The Knights rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to post a 60-53 victory. Shayli Florine (Galesburg, IL/Galesburg) came off the bench to lead the Bearcats with 13 points, while Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) added 12 points. Jordan Morton (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. 

ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA
The Screaming Eagles are 18-8 overall and 11-5 in conference play prior to their Thursday game at Illinois Springfield. Southern Indiana registered an 80-73 win over the University of Indianapolis in its last outing on Saturday. USI placed four players in double figures in the contest, led by Alex Davidson with 25 points while Emma DeHart and Imani Guy each registered 16 points. DeHart pulled down nine rebounds as Davidson distributed six assists. 

Guy leads a trio of Screaming Eagles scoring in double figures at 12.5 PPG. She also leads the team in rebounding with 6.8 RPG and has a team-best 25 blocked shots. Davidson is second on the USI squad in scoring (12.2 PPG), assists (83) and steals (39). 

Southern Indiana won the first match-up this season between the two teams, which came back on Feb. 14 in Evansville, Ind. The Screaming Eagles held off a late McKendree rally to post a 66-62 triumph. Jordan Heberg (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield North) poured in a career-high 27 points while Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) added 10 points and Jordan Morton (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) had eight rebounds.