LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree women's basketball is set to host University of Missouri-St. Louis and Maryville University this week in two Great Lakes Valley Conference contests at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. McKendree will face UMSL on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. followed by a 1 p.m. game on Saturday against Maryville. 

The Bearcats are 6-7 on the season and 3-3 in the GLVC following two setbacks last week to Drury and Missouri S&T. With their 3-3 conference record, McKendree is tied with University of Indianapolis for sixth in the conference while UMSL is 2-4 for ninth and Maryville is third at 5-2. 

Head coach Kari Kerkhoff said about this week's games, "We are excited to be home for two games after last week's tough competition on the road. The GLVC is a competitive conference, so we are looking ot put a complete game together by dictating the tempo all four quarters. We need to take care of the home court and move ourselves up in the standings."

ABOUT THE BEARCATS
As a team, McKendree is averaging 64.2 points per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 74.6 percent from the free throw line, and 28.2 percent from the field. The Bearcats are third in the conference in free throw percentage and fourth in field goal percentage for the season. 

Leading McKendree offensively is junior forward Naomi McDaniel, averaging 13.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while also collecting 19 blocks on the season. McDaniel ranks first in the conference with 1.58 blocks per game, fourth in the conference in field goal percentage at 54.2 percent, and seventh in rebounding average.

In addition to McDaniel, sophomore guard Clare Breden also averages double digits with 10.6 points per game and leads the team with 22 steals as well as in assists (2.1 per game) and three-point percentage (35.9 percent). 

Defensively, the Bearcats are fifth in the conference in points allowed to opponents at 63.7 points while also holding foes to just 27.8 percent shooting beyond the arc. McKendree is also fourth in steals, snagging 7.8 per game. 

ABOUT THE TRITONS 
UMSL comes into Thursday's game with a 4-8 overall record and a 2-4 record in the GLVC. In 2022, the Tritons finished the season with a 23-6 overall record and a 17-3 record in the GLVC, falling in the semifinals in the conference tournament to Drury. 

As a team, UMSL averages 56.8 points per game while allowing 64.7 points to opponents. The tritons are shooting 40.5 percent from the field, 78.4 percent from the free throw line, and 32.3 percent from the three-point line. UMSL's free throw percentage ranks first in the conference in addition to allowing the fewest number of rebounds to opponents at 29.3 per game. 

Offensively, the Tritons are led by two players in double digits as sophomore guard Jalysa Stokes averages 14.5 points and freshman guard Morgan Rathmun tallies 11.8 points per game while shooting a team-high 49.5 percent from the field. Rathmun ranks fifth in the conference in field goal percentage and second in the GLVC with a 88.6 free throw percentage.

At 8.4 rebounds per game, fifth year senior center Kiara Stewart leads UMSL and is fourth in the GLVC in rebounds per game. 

ABOUT THE SAINTS 
Maryville enters Saturday's game sporting a 10-4 overall record and 5-2 record in the GLVC after falling to UMSL last weekend. Last season, the Saints finished 13-14 overall and 9-11 in the conference, ending their season in the first round of the conference tournament with a loss to Lewis. 

As a team, Maryville averages 70.4 points while allowing just 63.9 points per game to opponents. The Saints have shot 39.9 percent from the field, 75.5 percent from the free throw line, and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. Maryville ranks second in the GLVC in scoring, third in scoring defense, and second in rebounds per game at 40.3. Just above McKendree, Maryville sits at first in lowest three-point percentage allowed at 27.5 percent. 

Four Saints average double figures as senior guard Antoinette Mussorici averages 14.8 points, junior guard Haidyn Pitsch tallies 12.7 points, senior guard Carsyn Fearday records 12.3 points, and redshirt senior forward Taylor Kirby sits at 10.0 points per game. Kirby ranks third in the GLVC in field goal percentage at 53.7 percent while Mussorici is 11th in scoring for the conference. Fearday sits at fourth in free throw percentage at 85.2 percent. 

Defensively, junior center Jenna Cotter is fourth in the GLVC with 1.2 blocked shots per game while Kirby ties for seventh with 1.6 steals per game. 

The Bearcats continue GLVC play at home following this week's contests as they host Lewis on Thursday, Jan. 19.