DEPTFORD, N.J. - McKendree University women's bowling posted a fourth-place finish in the Northeast Classic featuring 33 teams and hosted by Sacred Heart University. The Bearcats went 9-4 through the three-day event, falling to Stephen F. Austin in the third-place game on Sunday.
On Friday, McKendree recorded a total pinfall of 5,142 and a 4-1 record on the day as the Bearcats fell in their final game to Wagner. McKendree bounced back on day two, snagging five wins in the traditional games against St. Francis-Brooklyn (1,047-647), Chestnut Hill (912-889), Bryant (1,109-904), Kutztown (1,033-988), and Monmouth (1,112-999).
With a total pinfall of 5,213 from Saturday, McKendree was seeded second heading into bracket play on Sunday where they would face No. 1-seeded Vanderbilt.
The Bearcats fell 4-2 to the Commodores in the first round of bracket play, placing McKendree against Nebraska for a chance to appear in the championship round. McKendree took the lead over the Huskers 3-2 before tying at 227-227 in the fifth game, setting the score at 3.5-2.5 in favor of the Bearcats. The Huskers took the last two games over McKendree to put the Bearcats in the third-place game against Stephen F. Austin.
In the final round, Stephen F. Austin proved a challenging opponent and gained a 3-0 advantage over McKendree to start the round. The Bearcats battled back to tie the series at 3-3, but Stephen F. Austin prevailed in the last game 219-176 to seal the third-place spot while McKendree finished fourth overall.
Two Bearcats landed in the top eight individually for the event as junior
Isabel Allen sealed the third place spot with a 1,140 total pinfall and averaging 228.0 pins per game while graduate student
Hope Gramly finished eighth at 1,094 total pins and a 218.8-pin average. Allen was named First Team All-Tournament and Gramly earned Second Team All-Tournament honors.
Women's bowling will be back in action this coming weekend at the Prairie View A&M Invitational in Arlington, Texas. The Bearcats will begin the tournament on Friday, Jan. 27.
