LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University women's basketball team will open the New Year on Sunday, Jan. 2 with a 1 p.m. contest against the University of Southern Indiana in Great Lakes Valley Conference action at Melvin Price Convocation Center.

Sunday's game will be the first of the 2022 calendar year for the Bearcats and also the first game for McKendree since closing its 2021-22 non-conference slate with a 54-29 loss at Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday, Dec. 15.

McKendree comes into its first game of 2022 with a 1-9 overall record and an 0-3 mark in the GLVC. The Bearcats have lost five straight games since collecting a 90-71 home win on Nov. 23 over Blackburn College.

ABOUT McKENDREE
The Bearcats, who went 1-6 in its non-conference schedule, are led offensively by sophomore guard Christy Fortune (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West), who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent from the free throw line. She has scored in double figures in five of nine game and has pulled down eight or more rebounds in five of her last seven games, including a career high 10 boards against both Blackburn and UIS. Fortune currently 13th in the league in rebounding, fifth in both 3-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals made per game (2.4).

In addition to Fortune, two other Bearcats are averaging between 8.5 and 9.3 points per game on the season as second-year freshman guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville Community) is averaging 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field and has reached double figures in five games and sophomore guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) is averaging 8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field and 79 percent at the free throw line. Golden has made a team-high 19 free throws and has scored in double figures in three games, including a career high 17 points against Purdue Northwest.

Three players (Fortune, Breden and Golden) have scored 85 or more points on the season as Fortune has tallied 111 points, while Breden has scored 93 points and Golden has scored 85 points.

As a team this season, the Bearcats are averaging 49.5 points per game and are allowing 72.7 points per game and are shooting 36 percent from the field, 30 percent from the 3-point line and 66 percent from the free throw line. McKendree, who scored a season high 90 points in its only win of the season against Blackburn on Nov. 23, is getting outrebounded by 10.0 boards per game and is averaging 6.9 steals per game, which is 10th in the GLVC and 9.9 assists per game.

Defensively, the Bearcats opponents are shooting 45 percent from the field, 34 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent from the free throw line.

McKendree is coached by Kari Kerkhoff and she is 68-102 in her seventh season as the Bearcats head coach. Her 68 wins are third most in school history, while her seven years are tied with Ann DeBoe (1990-97) for second longest tenure in program history.

ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA
Southern Indiana comes into Sunday's first game with McKendree having won seven of its last eight games and is sporting an 8-2 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the GLVC. The Screaming Eagles, who earned votes in the most recent WBCA Division II Coaches Poll, two losses this season came in its second game of the year at Cedarville (88-82) and in its most recent game on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas against Tampa (79-71). The loss to Tampa snapped USI's seven game win streak.

The Screaming Eagles are 2-0 in league play with its two wins coming against Indianapolis (79-62) and at Illinois-Springfield (98-85).

Four USI players are averaging in double figures on the season with junior Hannah Haithcock is averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three-point line and 79 percent at the free throw line. Haithcock has scored in double figures in eight games and has posted two double-doubles.

In addition, to Haithcock, fifth-year senior guard Emma DeHart is second in scoring as she averages 11.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in six games, including a season high 24 points against West Texas A&M.

The other two double-digit scorers are sophomore forward Meredith Raley (10.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and junior guard Addy Blackwell (10.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.1 spg). Raley is shooting 50 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent from the free throw line and Blackwell is shooting 41 percent from the field and is second in the league in three-point shooting at 53 percent.

On the season, USI is second in the league in scoring at 80.6 points per game and is allowing 67.3 points per game. The Eagles have held six of its 10 opponents under 65 points, including allowing a season low 42 point against Kentucky Christian. USI is shooting 43 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and leads the league in free throw shooting at 79 percent as they are averaging 21.9 free throw attempts per game and are making 17.2 per game.

Additionally, USI is outrebounding its foes by nearly six boards per game and is forcing 22 turnovers per game and have a +6.3 turnover margin and is second in the league in steals as they are averaging 11.7 steals per game.

Southern Indiana is coached by Rick Stein, who is in his 23rd season at his alma mater and has compiled a 396-233 career record and a 239-173 mark in the GLVC. Stein, who is the all-time winningest coach in USI history, has led the Eagles to two GLVC Tournament titles (2001, 2002) and has won three GLVC Coach of the Year honors (2001, 2017, 2018).

Sunday's game will mark the 15th all-time meeting in the series between the two schools with USI holding a commanding 13-1 lead in the series. The Eagles have won 12 straight games in the series, including posting a 73-48 win in Evansville, Ind., in the team's most recent meeting on Dec. 12, 2020. McKendree is 0-7 against USI in Lebanon, and trails 6-1 in Evansville. McKendree's lone win in the series came in Evansville on Feb. 23, 2013, as the Bearcat defeated USI, 58-45.

UP NEXT 
Following Sunday's game, McKendree will hit the road for the first time in the New Year as they travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for a 4:30 p.m. CT game on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at the University of Indianapolis.