LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University women's basketball team made history here Saturday afternoon as the Bearcats picked up a 63-56 victory over Southwest Baptist at the Melvin Price Convocation Center to record its best four game start in Great Lakes Valley Conference play since joining the league in 2012.
 
With Saturday's victory, McKendree extends its win streak to three straight and improves its record to 5-4 on the season overall and 3-1 in the GLVC play. The 3-1 start to league play bettered the previous best four game GLVC start of 2-2 set in 2018-19. SBU dropped its fourth straight game and falls to 3-6 overall and 0-4 in the league play.
 
After trailing by 12 points after the opening quarter, the Bearcats would outscore SBU, 40-21 in the middle two quarters to hold a 50-43 lead heading into the final quarter. In the final quarter, both teams would score 13 points.

"The second quarter was a huge quarter for us and was exactly why we won the game," McKendree head women's basketball coach Keri Kerhoff said following the win. "I felt we finally got into our transition offense and we were able to push the ball and be aggressive. We had a nice inside-out game today."
 
Sophomore guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville) led the way offensively for McKendree with a game-high 15 points and added five assists and three steals, Breden has now scored in double figures in four straight games.

"When she (Clare) gets going on both ends of the court - pressuring the ball and pushing in transition offense - our team responds," said Kerkhoff when asked about Breden's play. "She's one we are looking to for energy and I've been really proud of how she's played the last few games."
 
In addition to Breden, junior guard Christy Fortune (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) added 14 points, including hitting three treys to give her 100 made 3-pointers in her McKendree career. Junior forward Naomi McDaniel (Attica, Ind./Parkland CC) and junior guard Maclayne Taylor (Ogden, Ill./Lincoln Land CC) each scored 11 points in the win. For Taylor, the 11 points were a career high.
 
After making just four of its first 12 shots in the first quarter and getting outscored, 22-10, the Bearcats shot 79 percent (11-for-14) from the field in the second quarter to take a 36-35 lead at the half. For the game, McKendree shot 51.1 percent (23-for-45) from the field, but shot just 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) from the 3-point line.
 
McKendree opened the second quarter by scoring eight of the first 10 points to pull within 24-18 following a lay-up by freshman guard Georgia Duncan (Washington, Ill./Washington Community) just a little over two minutes into the quarter. SBU, though, used a trey from Leikyn Walker and a basket from Teagan Brouwer to push its lead to 29-18, but McKendree responded with an 11-0 run capped by a basket from Breden to tie the game at 29-all with 1:45 left remaining in the quarter. Breden scored six of those 11 points.
 
Walker would give SBU a two-point lead at 31-29 following her lay-up with 1:27 left, but the Bearcats would close the period by scoring seven of the final 11 points, including using a trey from Fortune with 26 seconds left to give McKendree a 36-35 lead.
 
SBU opened the third quarter on a 7-4 run to take a 42-40 lead just three minutes into the period, before McKendree responded by scoring 10 of the final 11 points in the period to take a 50-43 lead into the final quarter. The run began with Fortune's 100th career trey and was capped by McDaniel making 1-of-2 free throws with 1:04 remaining in the period.
 
McKendree, who improved to 3-0 at home on the season with Saturday's victory, opened the fourth quarter on a 9-7 run to push its lead to nine points at 59-50 with 4:14 left in the game. The run was capped by back-to-back baskets from Breden.
 
SBU would mount a late rally as they answered McK's run with a 6-0 flurry to pull within 59-56 with 51 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Taylor drew a foul and made one of two free throws to extend her team's lead to 60-56 with 34 seconds remaining. Fourtune would then cap the scoring by hitting three of four free throws in the final 15 seconds of the contest.
 
Tori Hamiton paced SBU with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Blakemore added nine points and seven assists and Walker finished with seven points off the bench.
 
McKendree was outrebounded by 11 boards (33-22), but McKendree forced SBU into 20 turnovers that led to 14 points. McKendree committed 15 turnovers in the win.
 
The Bearcats were also strong at the free throw line as they were 14-for-19 (73.7 percent) from the charity stripe, including a 5-for-7 effort from the line in the fourth quarter. SBU was just 4-for-7 from the line in the game as McK was whistled for a season low eight fouls.
 
McKendree also had 12 steals and scored 15 points off fast breaks in the win. McDaniel, Breden and Taylor each had three steals in the win.
 
The Bearcats will now take 10 days off to complete first semester classes and exams before returning to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 13 with a non-conference game against Northwest Missouri State University. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.

"I think we are all finding our roles in the team and finding out who are shooters and drivers are. People are doing a good job of accepting those roles and taking the shots that are the best shots and what I call 'green light' shots," the McKendree coach added.