LEBANON, Ill. - The McKendree University women's basketball team continues its stretch of three games in six days to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Thursday, Dec. 2 as they across the Mississippi River on I-64 to face Maryville University in a 5:15 p.m. contest at Moloney Arena on the Maryville campus. 

Thursday's game will mark the second of 20 games in GLVC play for the Bearcats and also its second game this week as the Bearcats opened league play with an 81-52 loss on Monday at Illinois-Springfield and will conclude this three game stretch at home on Saturday, Dec. 4 against Lewis University at 1 p.m.

McKendree enters Thursday's game with Maryville sporting a 1-5 overall record and an 0-1 record in league play following its loss on Monday at UIS. The loss to UIS came six days after the Bearcats picked up its first win of the season with a 90-71 victory at home Blackburn College. The 90 points are the most points scored by the Bearcats in the seven year tenure of McKendree head coach Kari Kerkhoff and the most points since tallying 104 points against Davis & Elkins on Dec. 21, 2013. 

 
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Leading the way offensively for the Bearcats through the first six games is sophomore guard Christy Fortune (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West), who is averaging 15.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 54 percent from the field, 54 percent from the 3-point line and 77 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in two of her last three games, including scoring a career high 36 points in the win against Blackburn. Along with scoring in double figures in two of her last three games, Fortune has also collected 10 rebounds each in McKendree's last two games. The 36 points against Blackburn were tied for fourth-most in a game in school history.
 
In addition to Fortune, the second Bearcat averaging in double figures on the year is second-year freshman guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville Community) is averaging 10.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 69 percent at the free throw line and has hit eight treys and has scored in double figures in three of her last five games, including two games with 20 or more points. 

Redshirt senior guard/forward Sydney Diekhoff (Pekin, Ill./Pekin Community) is the third double-digit scorer as she is averaging 10.5 points per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent at the free throw line in two games. Diekhoff is fresh off a 16 point effort in her last outing against UIS. 

The fourth double-digit scorer for the Bearcats is sophomore guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), who is averaging 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in three games, including tallying 16 points in her last outing at UIS. Golden is tied for the team lead in free throw attempts with 18 and leads the team in made free throws with 14. 

As a team, McKendree enters Thursday's game averaging 53.5 points per game and are allowing 73.7 points per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 69 percent from the free throw line. The Bearcats are getting outrebounded by 10 boards per game and is averaging 10.8 assists and 7.0 steals per game and collected 10 steals against UIS. In that game, Breden, Diekhoff and Fortune each had two steals against the Prairie Stars. 
 

ABOUT MARYVILLE SAINTS
Maryville comes into its first home game in GLVC play on Thursday against McKendree sporting a 3-3 overall record and an 0-1 mark in the GLVC after suffering a 69-62 loss on Monday in its GLVC opener at Lindenwood. That loss to Lindenwood snapped a two-game winning streak for the Saints as they picked up victories over Minot State (70-66) and at home against Harris-Stowe State (72-56). 

Leading the way offensively for the Saints is junior guard Antoinette Mussorici, who is averaging 17.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent from the free throw line. She has scored in double figures in five of six games this season, including three games of scoring 20 or more points. 

Mussorici is the lone Maryville player averaging in double figures this season, but one other player, senior guard/forward Hunter Stidham is close to double figures as she is averaging 8.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field, 41 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent from the free throw line. 

As a team, the Saints are averaging 62.2 points per game and are allowing 65.2 points per game and Maryville is shooting 41 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent from the free throw line. The Saints are getting outrebounded by 8.2 boards per game and are forcing 17.2 turnovers per game and are averaging 7.8 steals per game. Maryville has scored 60 or more points in a game five times and have held two opponents under 60 points. 

Collin Lanam is in his sixth season as the Saints head coach and he has compiled a 68-67 record at Maryville and he is the second winningest women's basketball coach in school history. 

Thursday's game will be the 14th meeting all-time in the series with Maryville holding a 9-4 edge in the series. The Saints have won three straight games over the Bearcats, including picking up an 87-84 win last season at Moloney Arena.  

UP NEXT

Following Thursday's game, the Bearcats will open the home portion of its GLVC schedule on Saturday, Dec. 4 against Lewis University at 1 p.m. at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the McKendree campus.