LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University returned to action following a 10-day layoff to complete first semester final exams here Tuesday evening by suffering a 61-38 setback to Northwest Missouri State in the "Battle of the Bearcats" at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
 
The Bearcats, who had its three-game winning streak snapped with Tuesday's loss, fall to 5-5 overall, while Northwest Missouri snapped a four-game losing skid and moved its record to 5-5 overall. Prior to Tuesday's game, McKendree had won five of its last six games after opening the season with three consecutive losses. 
 
Tuesday's 38 points were a season low for the Bearcats and the fewest points scored by the Bearcats in a game since tallying 29 points in last season's road game at Northwest Missouri State. In addition, the Bearcats were held without a 3-pointer for the first time this season and that snapped a 60-game streak of making at least one 3-pointer since being held without a trey against Lewis on Feb. 20, 2020.
 
Junior forward Naomi McDaniel (Attica, Ind./Parkland CC) paced McKendree with a game-high 16 points and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. In addition to McDaniel, junior guard Maclayne Taylor (Ogden, Ill./Lincoln Land CC) added eight points and six boards in the loss.
 
McKendree struggled to take care of the basketball in Tuesday's game as they tied a season high with 23 turnovers that led to 18 points for NWMSU. The Bearcats had more turnovers (16) in the first half than points scored (15).
 
Northwest Missouri scored the first four points of the game and 10-2 just five minutes into the contest. McKendree, though, would use a lay-up by McDaniel and a basket from junior guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) to pull within 10-6 with 4:16 left in the opening quarter. NWMSU would close the opening quarter by scoring 10 of the final 14 points to lead 20-10 after the opening period. In the first quarter, McKendree committed 11 turnovers that led to 12 points for the visiting Bearcats.
 
In the second period, McKendree's offense struggled shooting the ball as they were 1-for-9 from the field, including a 0-for-4 effort from the 3-point line and were held to a season low five points in the quarter to help NWMSU push its first quarter lead to 32-15 at the half.
 
McKendree would open the third quarter by scoring nine of the first 13 points to cut NWMSU's lead to 36-24 with 4:07 left in the quarter. The run began with a lay-up by Taylor and was capped by a lay-up from McDaniel.
 
On the ensuing possession, Molly Harnett drilled a trey for Northwest Missouri and that trey jumpstarted a 9-4 run by the visiting Bearcats to push their lead to 45-28 after three quarters of play. Both teams scored 13 points in the period.
 
McKendree would score the first four points of the fourth quarter to drop NWMSU's lead to 45-32 with 6:26 left in the game. But, once again, Northwest Missouri used a trey, this time from Lindsey Kelderman to begin an 8-0 run to push out to a 53-32 lead with 3:47 remaining.
 
Baskets from Taylor and sophomore guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville Community) stopped Northwest's run, but back-to-back treys from Caely Kesten and Kelderman gave the visitors its largest lead of the game at 59-36 with 1:16 remaining.
 
Breden, who entered the game averaging 14 points per game over her last three contests, was held to just five points on the night.
 
McDaniel would hit two free throws with 53 seconds left to drop the deficit to 21 points, but Lauren Eiman scored on a lay-up nine seconds later to cap the scoring.
 
Evelyn Vazquez paced Northwest Missouri with 12 points, while Jillian Fleming added 10 points and Kelsey Fields finished with eight points and 12 rebounds. Jayna Green also added eight points and seven rebounds in the win.
 
McKendree's defense held NWMSU's leading scorer Harnett to five points as she entered the game averaging 13.3 points per game on the season.
 
For the game, McKendree shot 37.5 percent from the field, but was 0-for-7 from the 3-point line and was 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Northwest Missouri shot 37.7 percent from the field and 32 percent (7-for-22) from the 3-point line. McKendree entered the game second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in three-point field goal defense at 28.0 percent on the season.
 
McKendree was outrebounded, 38-33, but the visiting Bearcats collected 16 offensive boards that led to 20 second chance points and both teams blocked five shots with McDaniel recording a season-high four blocks.
 
While McKendree finished with 23 turnovers, Northwest Missouri had eight turnovers for the game.
 
McKendree will look to start a new winning streak as they conclude non-conference play with a 1 p.m. afternoon home matinee on Monday, Dec. 19 against Culver-Stockton College.