LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University women's basketball concluded play in its season opening Midwest Region Crossover here Saturday afternoon by falling 84-61 to Purdue Northwest at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the McKendree campus.
 
With the loss, McKendree falls to 0-2 on the season, while PNW improves to 1-1 on the season.
 
One day after scoring just 40 points in its 64-40 season opening loss to Tiffin University, the Bearcats offense matched their total of points in the season opener in the third quarter and would score 19 fourth quarter points against the Pride.
 
The Bearcats played Saturday's with only six healthy players after sophomore guard Christy Fortune (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) sat out the game against PNW after suffering an injury late in Friday's game with Tiffin.
 
Second-year freshman guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville Community) led the way with a career-high 21 points, while sophomore guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) tallied a career-high 17 points and added six rebounds.
 
In addition to Breden and Golden, freshman guard Morgan Nettles (St. Louis, Mo./Clayton) had a career-high eight points off the bench, while redshirt junior guard Kaelyn Froebe (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln) added seven points and a game-high eight rebounds.
 
For the game, McKendree shot 38 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line, while PNW shot 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line. The Pride made 10 three-pointers in the game, while McKendree made just four treys.
 
The Bearcats were outrebounded 39-33 and committed just 13 turnovers that led 15 points for PNW. PNW had 12 turnovers and held a 42-34 edge in points in the paint.
 
PNW jumped out a 15-0 lead in the first four-plus minutes into the game and led 18-6 when the Bearcats used a 10-3 run to pull within 21-16 with 2:10 left in the opening quarter.
 
The Pride, though, would answer back with a 6-0 run to push its lead to 27-16, before Breden capped the quarter by hitting a shot from half court before the buzzer to drop PNW's lead to 27-19.
 
PNW would outscore the Bearcarts, 19-12 in the second quarter to take a 46-31 lead at the half.
 
In the third quarter, PNW would open the quarter on a 9-4 run to push its lead to 55-35 with 7:16 left in the period. That run, though, seemed to ignite the Bearcats as they scored five of the next seven points to pull within 57-40 with 4:59 left in the quarter.
 
That would be as close as the Bearcats would get as the Pride closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 65-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
PNW would open the fourth quarter on a 9-3 run to push out to a 74-45 lead just two-plus minutes into the final quarter. The Pride's lead would eventually push out to 32 points at 80-48 with 4:39 left in the game.
 
McKendree, though, would close out the game by outscoring the Pride, 13-4, to set the final margin. Golden and Nettles combined to score 17 of McKendree's 19 fourth quarter points.
 
Dash Shaw paced the Pride with a game-high 22 points off the bench, while Anjel Galbraith and Savaya Brockington each added 16 points in the win.
 
Neither team was strong at the free throw line in the game as McKendree shot 68.8 percent (11-for-16) at the line, while PNW shot 71 percent (10-for-14) from the charity stripe.
 
In Saturday's other game of the Midwest Region Crossover, Illinois-Springfield (2-0) picked up a 60-45 win over Tiffin (1-1).
 
The Bearcats will return to the court next weekend (Nov. 19-20) as they compete in the Quincy Subway Classic hosted by Quincy University in Quincy, Ill. At the event, the Bearcats will open against Winona State on Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. and then faces Ferris State on Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.