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McKENDREE UNIVERSITY @ DRURY – Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 @ 7:30 PM
O'Reilly Family Event Center – Springfield, MO
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McKENDREE vs UNIVERSITY of SOUTHERN INDIANA – Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 @1:00 PM
Harry M. Statham Sports Center – Lebanon, IL
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(LEBANON, Ill. – Jan. 4) – The McKendree University women's basketball team will open the 2021 calendar year by traveling to Springfield, MO for a mid-week evening competition against Drury on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 5:30 PM. The Bearcats will then face Southern Indiana for the second time this season, in a home contest on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 1:00 PM.

Kari Kerkhoff's team enters this week's contests with a 3-4 overall record, 3-4 in GLVC competition. most recently, they dropped their home contest 70-80 to University of Missouri-St. Louis on Dec. 20. The Bearcats dominated the second quarter, holing their opponent to 30.0 percent shooting and had a nine-point lead. But the Tritons capitalized on Bearcats' turnovers and physicality to win the game.

McKendree is averaging 64.1 points per game, with just a 2.0 point margin behind their opponents. They also have an average 22.9 percent in field goals, are 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 66.2 percent from the free throw line.

Freshman Christy Fortune (Appleton, WI/Appleton West) is leading the way for the Bearcats with an average 12.0 points per game. Fortune is averaging a 57.9 shooting percentage from the paint and 42.1 percent from three-point range. Right behind is Madison Jones (Abingdon, IL/Abiingdon-Avon), with an average 11.9 points per game. She has an average 49.3 shooting percentage and leads the team with an average 6.9 rebounds per game. Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, IL/Pekin Community) rounds out the top-3 leading Bearcats so far this season. Diekhoff is averaging 10.1 points per game and is second leading on the team in free throw percentage (82.4 percent).

About Drury University
Drury is one of the only undefeated teams in the GLVC this season, sitting with a 7-0 overall and 7-0 GLVC competition record. The Panthers are coming off a 97-59 win over Maryville on Sunday. The Lady Panthers had recorded their 39^th win in a row, 73 in the regular season and 57 at home. The Lady Panthers are averaging 47.8 percent from the paint and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc, with an average 25.4 points ahead of their opponents in the scoring margin. The Lady Panthers are led by Paige Robinson, who is averaging 22.9 points per game, with an average 8.0 rebound per game. She is followed by Azia Lynch, who is averaging 14.7 points with a 56.0 shooting percentage. Rounding out the top-3 for Drury is Emily Parker, who is averaging 12.2 points per game, and is 77.8 percent from the free throw line.

About University of Southern Indiana (USI)
The Screaming Eagles are 6-1 overall and 6-1 in GLVC competition this season. In their most recent competition, the Screaming Eagles trailed by as much as 19 points in the first quarter to Truman State, but battled back to take the 83-78 win. USI trailed by four heading into the final quarter and saw their deficit increase to double digits from their slow start. But a three-pointer jump started a 15-0 scoring run to put them in the lead with 90 second left in the game. The Screaming Eagles will host Quincy Tuesday night before heading to Lebanon for a Saturday afternoon contest with the Bearcats.

The last matchup between these two teams, was on Dec. 12 where the Screaming Eagles took the win, 73-48. The Bearcats had three players score 13 points or better.

With spectators not allowed in attendance, except for essential personnel, the games can be streamed via the GLVC Sports Network. The Official streaming network for the McKendree University Bearcats.