LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University women's basketball hosts two Great Lakes Valley Conference games this week including a 5:30 p.m. game on Thursday against Missouri S&T and a 1 p.m. game on Saturday against No.2-ranked Drury. The two games will mark the final home contests for the Bearcats in the 2022-23 season.
The Bearcats are 10-13 overall and 7-9 in the GLVC after suffering two losses on the road last week to Southwest Baptist and Rockhurst.
As a team, McKendree ranks fourth in the GLVC in field goal percentage (43.7 percent), blocked shots (2.74 per game), and steals (7.83 per game).
McKendree is led offensively by junior forward Naomi McDaniel, averaging 13.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game (8th in GLVC). McDaniel is also second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 56.9 percent from the field, and second in blocked shots with 1.39 per game.
Sophomore guard Clare Breden has been the leading scorer in McKendree's last two games, putting up 35 points collectively. Breden ranks second in the GLVC for steals, snagged 1.52 per game.
Missouri S&T sports a 13-11 overall record and a 9-7 record in the GLVC heading into Thursday's game. The Miners most recently defeated UMSL last Thursday, 76-69.
As a team, the Miners rank fourth in the GLVC in free throw percentage (75.1 percent), second in rebounding (38.2 per game), and second in both field goal defense (39.9 percent) and three-point defense (30.6 percent).
The Miners are led offensively with two double-digit scorers. Graduate student center Alex Kerr nets 16.1 points (5th in GLVC) and 9.8 rebounds per game (2nd in GLVC) for the Miners while graduate student guard Laura Rodriguez averages 14.0 points per game. Kerr is third in the league in blocked shots (1.25 per game) and Rodriguez leads the league in free throw percentage at 90 percent.
In the last meeting between the Miners and the Bearcats earlier this season, the Miners slipped away with a two-point victory, 80-78. In the all-time series, Missouri S&T leads 7-6.
No.2-ranked Drury boasts a 23-1 overall record and a perfect 16-0 record in the GLVC as the Panthers face Indianapolis before Saturday's contest with McKendree.
As a team, Drury leads the league in scoring (82.1 points per game) and steals (12.04 per game), while ranking second in field goal percentage (46.3 percent) and three-point percentage (36.1 percent).
Three Panthers average double-digit scoring including graduate student guard Kaylee DaMitz-Holt with 16.6 points (4th in GLVC), senior forward Alana Findley with 14.8 points, and graduate student guard Terrion Moore with 12.5 points. DaMitz-Holt is fourth in assists with 3.79 per game while Findley and Moore rank first and second respectively in steals.
The Panthers and Bearcats met earlier in the season as Drury posted a 96-57 win.
To close out the regular season, the Bearcats will be on the road next week against Maryville and UMSL.
