LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University women's basketball continues its 2022-23 Great Lakes Valley Conference campaign this weekend with two home contests against Rockhurst and Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats and the Hawks will tip off Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. before the battle between Bearcats on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center on the McKendree campus.
 
The Bearcats are currently 3-4 on the season and 1-1 in the GLVC following a 79-72 setback to Truman State on Saturday and a 75-70 comeback win at William Jewell on Monday. This week's games mark the first home conference games of the season for the Bearcats as they hosted Blackburn in their lone home contest so far.
 
McKendree gained its first conference win at William Jewell as the Bearcats overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter. With sophomore guard Clare Breden's (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville) and junior forward Naomi McDaniel's (Attica, Ind./Parkland CC) combined 17 points, the Bearcats surged ahead with five minutes to go in the contest, outscoring the Cardinals 26-9 in the fourth quarter. McDaniel recorded a career-high 24 points in the win.
 
In similar fashion, McKendree rallied late in the game against Truman State, attempting to overcome 45-29 deficit at the half. The Bearcats came within six points of Truman's lead with a 22-point fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs prevailed with a 79-72 win. Breden led the Bearcats with 15 points while junior guard Christy Fortune (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) tabbed nine points and seven rebounds in the setback.
 
ABOUT McKENDREE
As the Bearcats head into their third and fourth GLVC games of the season, they are led in scoring by McDaniel who is averaging 13.9 points per game as well as leading in rebounds with 7.4 per game. Across the first seven games, McDaniel has shot 62 percent from the field which is tops in the league. McDaniel has scored in double digits four times this season, recording one double-double against Rogers State (18 points and 12 rebounds).
 
Along with McDaniel, Breden averages just shy of double-digit scoring with 9.7 points per game and leads the Bearcats in 3-point shooting percentage at 47 percent. Breden has had three double-digit performances with a season-high 15 against Truman State. Additionally, Breden averages a team-high 1.7 steals per game which ranks No. 9 in the GLVC.
 
Fortune is the third Bearcat averaging over seven points per game and over five rebounds per game while junior forward Kristyn Mitchell (Collinsville, Ill./Illinois Central College) has the second-highest scoring percentage from the field as Mitchell has collected a 50 percent field goal percentage over the seven games.
 
Two Bearcats are leading the team in assists as junior guard Maclayne Taylor (Ogden, Ill./Lincoln Land CC) and junior guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) have each posted a two-assist per game average.
 
As a team, McKendree ranks third in the GLVC for free throw percentage at 77 percent while also ranking fourth in field goal percentage at 42 percent.
 
Notably, McKendree has outscored its opponents 120-95 in the fourth quarter, allowing an average of 61.4 total points in seven games on the season. Defensively, McKendree sits third in steals as they average 8.7 per game and are fourth for three-point percentage defense as their foes are shooting just 30 percent from long distance.
 
ABOUT ROCKHURST
The Hawks are also sporting a 3-4 overall record and 0-1 GLVC record heading into this week's game following an 84-76 loss to Maryville on Monday night. Rockhurst was picked toe finish fifth in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll and finished with an 11-9 record in conference play during the 2021-22 season.
 
Leading the way offensively for the Hawks is junior guard Keegan Sullivan. Sullivan is averaging 16.1 points per game and has recorded six double-digit scoring performances this season, including a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double against Upper Iowa and a season-high 27 points against Parkside. Sullivan also leads the Hawks with 7.4 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game. Currently, Sullivan sits in the Top 10 in the GLVC in scoring (16.1), three-point field goal percentage (48 percent), and seventh in rebounding (7.4 ) for the season.
 
Two more Hawks sport double-digit scoring averages as freshman guard Macie Conway averages 11.9 points per game and senior forward Molly Hummel averages 11.2 points per game. Hummel also averages a team-high 2.33 steals per game and which is the third-highest in the conference.
 
Freshman guard Ali Kamies is second in the GLVC for three-point percentage at 50 percent, while also sitting fourth in field goal percentage at 51 percent. Kamies recorded a 20-point game against Maryville on Monday, posting a 66 percent field goal percentage including a 4-for-4 performance from the three-point line.
 
As a team, Rockhurst is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 70.4 points per game, but is ninth with points allowed at 70.3 points per game. Through the first seven games, Rockhurst has shot 40 percent from the field as well as 30 percent from three and 74 percent from the foul stripe. Notably, the Hawks rank first in the GLVC in both blocked shots (3.7 per game) and offensive rebounds (13.7 per game).
 
ABOUT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST
Southwest Baptist currently features a 3-4 overall record and a 0-2 conference records following setbacks to Missouri S&T and UMSL this past weekend. Last season, SBU finished 10-10 in the conference and were picked No. 10 in the Preseason GLVC Coaches' Poll for the 2022-23 season.
 
Heading the offensive end for Southwest Baptist is senior guard Leikyn Walker as she is tallying 9.7 points per game, shooting 47 percent from the field (No. 9 in GLVC), and 50 percent from the three-point line (No. 2 in GLVC). Walker has recorded four double-digit scoring games this season including her season-high 18 points against Ozark Christian.
 
Two more guards average over seven points for SBU as sophomore guard Emma Perry averages 9.4 points per game while fellow sophomore guard Kelsey Blakemore has posted a 7.9 points-per-game average. Blakemore also leads the team in assists with 2.0 per game and ranks second in the GLVC for steals per game (2.4).
 
Sophomore forward Claudia Vanzant has amassed an 8.1 per game rebounding average, which is the third-highest in the league. Vanzant recorded a team and season-high 16 rebounds earlier this season against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.
 
Southwest Baptist ranks in the top three of two statistical categories in the GLVC as they are second in three-point percentage at 36 percent and thrid in three-pointers made with 53 total on the season. Defensively, SBU has held their opponents to a three-point percentage of 40 percent, which is fourhth-best in the league.  
 
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's two home GLVC games, McKendree will play take 10 days off before returning to action on Tuesday, Dec. 13 with a 6 p.m. home non-conference contest against Northwest Missouri State and will close out their first semester schedule with a home non-conference game at 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19 against Culver-Stockton College.