ARLINGTON, Texas – McKendree University women's bowling completed play here Sunday with a fourth-place finish overall after posting a 7-6 record at the 11th-Annual Prairie View A&M Invitational held at the ITRC Arlington.

For the three-day event, the No. 2 ranked Bearcats finished with a total pinfall of 13,895 pins and averaged 201.4 in 69 games. The Bearcats lost their six games by a total of 330 pins, including its two bracket play matches on Sunday by a total of 67 pins. The tournament featured 11 nationally-ranked teams, including the top eight teams in the country.   

The No. 2 ranked Bearcats opened play on Sunday with a traditional match against No. 6 Arkansas State and would post a 990-912 win over the Red Wolves to secure its No. 4 seed in Sunday's bracket play tournament.

Following the completion of traditional play, the Bearcats faced off against No. 1 seeded and fifth-ranked Vanderbilt in the first match of bracket play. Against the Commodores, the Bearcats lost the first two games, 225-212 and 186-165, before winning the third game by a score of 200-179. Vandy would take the fourth game, 243-157 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven match, but the Bearcats would win the next two games – 215-161 and 258-180 to force a seventh and deciding game. In the seventh game, the Vandy would ultimately prevail, 234-193 to advance to the championship match against No. 1 ranked and No. 2 seeded Sam Houston.

After the loss to Vanderbilt, the Bearcats would face No. 3 seeded and third-ranked Nebraska for third place. In the match against the Huskers, Nebraska won the first two games – 257-246 and 235-202 to lead 2-0. McKendree would rally to win the third game (224-223) and then tie the match up with a 173-157 win in fourth game. Nebraska would won the fifth game (253-239), but the Bearcats tied the match against after posting a 197-188 win in the sixth game. With the match tied, Nebraska would win the seventh and deciding game, 202-172 to seal its third-place finish and drop the Bearcats to fourth place.

Vanderbilt would take home the team title after defeating Sam Houston, 4-3 in the championship match. Vanderbilt went 10-3 overall and posted a total pinfall of 14,327 and averaged 207.6 in 69 games.

After the completion of the traditional match against Arkansas State, the top individual finisher for the Bearcats in the six traditional games was senior Hope Gramly (Prosper, Texas/Prosper), who finished in ninth place overall with a total pinfall of 1,293 and averaged 215.50 in six games. Gramly bowled a 212 against Arkansas State and had four games of 200 or better, including a high of 259 against 15th-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson.

Along with Gramly, junior Rebecca Hagerman (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) was the only Bearcat bowler to play in all six traditional games and finished 10th overall on the individual leaderboard with a pinfall total of 1,285 and averaged 214.17 in six games. Hagerman recorded 200 or better in five games, including a 228 against Sam Houston.

Junior Maranda Pattison (Redwood Valley, Calif./Ukiah Independent) bowled in five of six games and finished in 24th place overall with a total pinfall of 1,023 and averaged 204.60 in five games and recorded 200 or more in her final three games, including a high of 234 against Prairie View A&M.

In Friday's five Baker games, the Bearcats went 3-2 and then went 4-2 in its six traditional games, including 1,109-1,009 win over Sam Houston.

McKendree will return to the lanes next weekend (Feb. 4-6) as they compete ay the Columbia 300 Saints Invitational hosted by Maryville University and held at Bowlero Lakeside in Valley Park, Mo.