LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University women's basketball aims to capture their second consecutive win for the season as they host Blackburn College at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. The afternoon game will feature a presentation at half time for Faculty and Staff Appreciation at McKendree.
Tuesday's non-conference game marks the 2022-23 home opener for McKendree women's basketball and their only home game for the month of November. The Bearcats currently sit at 1-3 on the season following an 0-2 outing at the Midwest Region Crossover at Tiffin and a 1-1 finish at the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic hosted by Quincy this past weekend.
McKendree gained their first win against Rogers State on Sunday, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter to prevail 66-57 over the Hillcats.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Leading the way offensively for the Bearcats through four games is junior forward
Naomi McDaniel (Attica, Ind./Parkland CC), who is averaging 11.3 points per game and currently sports a field goal percentage of 55 percent, second to junior guard
Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) who leads the team at 56 percent from the field. McDaniel leads the team in rebounds with 8.5 rebounds per game. With an 18-point, 12-rebound performance against Rogers State and her first double-double of the season, McDaniel earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team for the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic.
Sophomore guard
Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville) has tallied a 9.3-points per game average in the Bearcats' first four contests including posting a season-high 14 points in the victory against Rogers State. Additionally, Breden leads McKendree with nine assists and six steals on the season.
As a team, the Bearcats are averaging 50.8 points per game and outshooting opponents from the free throw line 77-percent to 64-percent from the foul stripe.
ABOUT THE BEAVERS
Blackburn begins the 2022-23 season with a 1-3 record as they posted a dominant 65-31 win over Maranatha Baptist for their first game of the season.
The Beavers are led offensively by 5-foot-9 junior guard Mariah Hopson who averaged 11.7 points per game through the first four games of the season. Hopson also leads in rebounds, tallying an 8.0 rebounds per game average.
In addition to Hopson, senior guard Aryanna Harris returns for the Beavers this season, averaging 7.7 points per game. Harris was among the leading scorers for Blackburn in the 2021-22 season with 11.4 points per game.
As a team, the Beavers are averaging 53.0 points per game and sport a 33-percent shooting percentage from the field. Blackburn also averages double-digit assists with 13.0 per game.
This is the second consecutive year that the Bearcats and the Beavers will play an early-season game as the two teams met last year resulting in a 90-71 win for McKendree. Tuesday's game will mark the fourth meeting of the teams since 2010.
Following the home opener on Tuesday, the Bearcats will travel to Truman State for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Nov. 26 to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
