LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University women's basketball prepares to play two Great Lakes Valley Conference games this week as they host Quincy University on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and travel to Illinois-Springfield on Saturday for a 1 p.m. match-up.
The Bearcats feature a 7-10 overall record and a 4-6 record in the conference following last week's GLVC games. McKendree looks to bounce back with a win after falling to Lewis on Thursday night and Indianapolis on Saturday.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
McKendree enters Thursday's game shooting 43.2 percent from the field (4th in GLVC), 28.5 percent from the three point line, and 73.7 percent from the free throw line (5th in GLVC).
The Bearcats average 63.6 points while allowing 66.1 points per game to opponents and holding foes to just 30.2 percent three-point shooting (2nd in GLVC). Defensively, McKendree ranks fourth in defensive rebounding, grabbing 25.2 per game in addition to ranking fifth in blocked shots with 2.47 per game.
Offensively, the Bearcats are led in scoring and rebounding by junior forward Naomi McDaniel, tallying 12.9 points per game and snagging 7.0 rebounds per game. McDaniel is third in the conference in field goal percentage at 56.0 percent and third in blocked shots with 1.24 per game. Most recently, McDaniel posted 14 points against both Lewis and Indianapolis, shooting an average of 72.5 percent from the field.
In addition to McDaniel, sophomore guard Clare Breden averages 10.2 points per game and dishes out a team-high average 2.1 assists. Against Lewis, Breden tied her season high of 15 points.
Three more Bearcats average seven points or more including junior guards Maclayne Taylor (7.4 ppg), Christy Fortune (7.3 ppg), and Erin Golden (7.1 ppg).
ABOUT THE HAWKS
Quincy, coming off a two-game win streak, enters Thursday's game with a 9-10 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the GLVC after posting wins over UMSL and Missouri S&T last week. In the last match-up between McKendree and Quincy on Jan. 20, 2022, the Hawks snuck away with a 51-48 win over the Bearcats.
The Hawks average 66.4 points per game and rank in the top 5 in the GLVC in two offensive categories, sitting third in three-point percentage at 34.3 percent and fourth in assists with 14.63 per game.
Defensively, Quincy holds opponents to the third-lowest average in the GLVC at 65.6 points while allowing only 40.2 percent of shots from the field and grabbing a fifth-highest 7.26 steals per game.
The Hawks are led offensively by senior guard Beth Matas Martin averaging 14.3 points per game, dishing out a GLVC second-highest 4.05 assists, and netting a second-highest 46 total three-pointers on the season. Matas Martin also ranks second in free throw percentage at 83.7 percent.
Also averaging double-digits for the Hawks is senior forward Sarah Nelson with 12.3 points per game. Junior guard Grace Flanagan ranks first in the GLVC for three-point percentage, netting 50 percent of her 66 attempts from beyond the arc. On the boards, junior forward Cymirah Williams averages 7.9 rebounds per game, leading the Hawks and sitting fifth in the conference.
ABOUT THE PRAIRIE STARS
Illinois-Springfield will face Indianapolis on Thursday before Saturday's match-up with McKendree at the Recreation and Athletic Center on Illinois-Springfield's campus. The Prairie Stars sport a 2-17 overall record and 2-9 record in the GLVC with their two wins coming against Rockhurst and Maryville.
The Prairie Stars average 68.7 points per game, ranking second in the GLVC at 77.0 percent from the free throw line and sinking 151 total three-pointers on the season. Defensively, Illinois-Springfield is third in steals per game with 7.42 led by sophomore guard Sahara Murphy averaging 1.63 steals.
Leading the Prairie Stars in scoring and sitting fourth in scoring for the GLVC is sophomore guard Ariyah Douglas averaging 17.2 points per game. Douglas is also tied for fourth in three pointers made, sinking 37 across the team's 18 games.
Three more Prairie Stars average double figures including sophomore guard Liz Uhl at 15.1 points (8th in GLVC), freshman guard Brianna Zajicek netting 13.2 points, and freshman guard Ava Bardic scoring 10.9 points per game.
UP NEXT
Following this week's contests, the Bearcats will play the next two games at home, hosting William Jewell on Thursday and Truman State on Saturday.
