LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University women's basketball continues its 2021-22 season this weekend as the Bearcats travel to Quincy, Ill., to play two games in the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic hosted by Quincy University at Pepsi Arena.
 
McKendree opens the two-day event by facing Winona State (Minn.) University in a 5 p.m. game on Nov. 19, before meeting Ferris State (Mich.) University at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20.
 
The Bearcats come into this weekend's action sporting an 0-2 record after opening the 2021-22 campaign with two games in the Midwest Region Crossover at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the McKendree campus. McKendree opened with a 64-40 loss to Tiffin, before falling 84-61 to Purdue Northwest. The 0-2 start to the season is the first for the Bearcats the 2014-15 team opened the season by losing its first five games.
 
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Leading the way offensively for the Bearcats through the first two games is sophomore guard Christy Fortune (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West), who is averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while sophomore guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) is averaging 12.0 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game and is coming off a career high 17 point effort against Purdue Northwest.
 
The third double-digit scorer for the Bearcats is second-year freshman guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville), who is averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and had hit a team-best four 3-pointers as she is shooting 57 percent from long distance. Breden tallied a career high 21 points in her last outing against Purdue Northwest.
 
As a team, McKendree enters the weekend averaging just 50.5 points per game and are allowing 74 points per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent at the free throw line. The Bearcats are getting outrebounded by 10.5 boards per game and has is averaging 18.5 turnovers per game.
 
ABOUT WINONA STATE
Winona State will be opening its 2021-22 season this weekend as the Warriors tuned up the season by playing back-to-back exhibition games last weekend in La Crosse, Wis., as they picked up an 84-46 win over Dakota State University and then collected a 78-56 win over Viterbo University.
 
Last season, Winona State posted a 5-7 overall record, including a 5-6 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and in the preseason NSIC poll, the Warriors were tabbed to finish 10th overall and fifth in the South Division poll. Winona State comes into the season having won four of its last games to close last season.
 
Among the key returners this season for Winona State is senior forward Taylor Hustad, who was named a Second-Team All-NSIC selection last season after leading the Warriors in points scored (317), total rebounds (88) and minutes played (317).
 
In addition to Hustad, who was named to the NSIC Preseason Player of the Watch List, another key returner is senior center Emma Fee, who averaging 10.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season, while sophomore guard Caitlin Riley averaged 7.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and senior guard Emily Kieck averaged 7.1 points per game and led the team in assists with 36 last season.
 
ABOUT FERRIS STATE
Ferris State comes into this weekend's action sporting a 2-1 overall record as they opened the season by splitting games at a GLIAC/GMAC Crossover event in Detroit, Mich. At the event, Ferris State opened with an 80-64 loss to Walsh University, before picking up a 78-49 win over Lake Erie and then picked up an 85-77 road win on Wednesday at Lewis University.
 
In the Preseason GLIAC poll, the Bulldogs were picked second as they earned 44 points and three first place votes.
 
Leading the way offensively for Ferris State is sophomore guard Kadyn Blanchard, who is averaging 17.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 44 percent from the 3-point line. In addition to Blanchard, the other double-digit scorer for the Bulldogs is junior forward Chloe Idoni, who is also averaging 17.0 points per game and is pulling down 6.5 rebounds per contest and is shooting 52 percent from the floor and 75 percent at the free throw line.
 
As a team, Ferris State is averaging 71.0 points per game and is allowing 64.5 points per game and the Bulldogs are shooting 37.2 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line and 63 percent at the free throw line and are averaging 39.5 rebounds per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Friday's game with Winona State marks the second-ever meeting between the two schools as the two teams met on Nov. 18, 2017 at the Quincy Subway Tip-off Classic. The Bearcats lost that first meeting, 72-54.
 
McKendree and Ferris State will be meeting on the hardwood for the first time on Saturday.
 
QUINCY CLASSIC HISTORY
The Bearcats will be playing in an in-season tournament at Quincy for the second time and the first time in 2017-18 as they participated in the Quincy Subway Classic. At the event, the Bearcats fell 70-63 to Upper Iowa University and 72-54 to Winona State.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's two games in Quincy, the Bearcats will return home to host Blackburn College in a 5:30 p.m. non-conference contest on Nov. 23 at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the McKendree campus.