LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University women's basketball closed the pre-Christmas portion of its 2022-23 schedule here Monday afternoon by posting a 70-59 non-conference victory over Culver-Stockton College at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
 
With the victory, McKendree improves to 6-5 and completes non-conference play with a 3-4 record, while Culver-Stockton is 11-2 on the season. The six wins before the Christmas break are the most for the program since winning seven games during the 2019-20 season.
 
Monday's win was keyed by a strong first quarter from the Bearcats as they scored 30 points and held CSC to just nine points. Over the final three periods of play, CSC outscored the Bearcats, 50-40.
 
In the first quarter, the Bearcats shot 65 percent (11-for-17) from the field and 71 percent (5-for-7) from the 3-point line, while holding the Wildcats to 21 percent shooting (4-for-19) from the field and 11.1 percent (1-for-9) from the 3-point line.
 
Three Bearcats scored in double figures in the win as junior forward Naomi McDaniel (Attica, Ind./Parkland CC) led the way with a game-high 15 points and added eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville Community) added 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds and freshman guard Georgia Duncan (Washington, Ill./Washington) tallied 11 points.
 
The game was close in the early going as the two teams were tied at 5-all just three minutes into the game, before the Bearcats used a 14-0 run over the next four minutes to pull out to a 19-5 lead. 
 
After a lay-up by Megan Diehl stopped the Bearcats' run, McKendree closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 30-9 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The 30 points were a season high in the first quarter for the Bearcats.
 
CSC would open the second quarter with a lay-up by Kiana Ortiz, before a lay-up from freshman guard Chloe White (Brussels, Ill./Alton Marquette Catholic) and a lay-up by McDaniel gave the Bearcats a 34-11 lead just two-plus minutes into the period. The 23-point lead was the largest of the game for the Bearcats.
 
The Wildcats, who played the game as an exhibition contest, closed the second period on a 12-7 run to cut McKendree's lead to 41-23 at the half.
 
CSC would outscore the Bearcats, 17-11 in the third quarter to cut McKendree's lead to 52-40 after three quarters of action. In the period, McKendree went just 3-for-14 (21.4 percent) from the field and 2-for-7 (28.6 percent) from the 3-point line.
 
The Bearcats opened the final period on a 7-2 run to push out to a 59-42 lead just three minutes into the period. The run began with a lay-up from junior guard Erin Golden (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and was capped by a lay-up from McDaniel.
 
CSC, though, wouldn't go away as they responded with a 12-5 run capped by a basket from Oritz to pull within 64-54 with 3:38 left in the game. McKenzie Lathrom scored six of her team-high 11 points during the run.
 
McDaniel and junior guard Madyson Harper (Delavan, Ill./Parkland CC) made back-to-back baskets over a span of 32 seconds to give the Bearcats a 68-54 lead with 2:15 left in the game. The Wildcats would score five straight points to pull within 68-59 with 1:10 left, before McDaniel capped the scoring with a lay-up with 42 seconds remaining in the contest.
 
Lathrom was the only Wildcat to score in double figures with 11, while Whynter Waterhouse-Brennan added nine points and Avery Oetting had eight points.
 
For the game, McKendree finished shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line, while CSC shot 40 percent from the field and 17 percent from the 3-point line.
 
The Bearcats held a 37-30 edge on the boards, including collecting 11 offensive rebounds, while McKendree also blocked three shots to one for CSC.
 
McKendree also had 18 assists with McDaniel, Breden and Golden each collecting three assists. The Wildcats had 10 assists in the game.
 
The Bearcats lost the turnover battle (14-12) as CSC scored 18 points off those 14 turnovers. McKendree scored 13 points off CSC's 12 miscues.
 
Both teams shot over 70 percent from the free throw line as CSC shot 77 percent (10-for-13) from the line, while McKendree was 8-for-11 (72.7 percent) at the line.
 
McKendree will now take the NCAA mandated seven-day break from activities before returning to practice on Dec. 28 to begin preparations to the second half of its schedule which begins on Thursday, Jan. 5 with a 5:30 p.m. game in Springfield, Mo., against fifth-ranked Drury University.