LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University women's basketball plays the final games of its regular season this week, facing Maryville University on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. and the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Bearcats stand at 10-15 overall and 7-11 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference as the conference tournament rapidly approaches in just one week.
In conference standings, McKendree ranks top five in field goal percentage (4th, 43.0 percent), blocked shots (3rd, 2.88 per game), steals (3rd, 7.80 per game), and three-point field goal defense (4th, 31.0 percent). As a team, McKendree averages 63.8 points per game.
Junior forward Naomi McDaniel leads scoring average for the Bearcats at 13.6 points per game and ranks third in field goal percentage in the GLVC (56.1 percent). McDaniel is also eighth in rebounding, snagging 7.0 per game and collecting an average of 1.4 blocks per game (2nd in GLVC). Sophomore guard Clare Breden is just under a double-digit scoring average at 9.9 points per game while also sitting seventh in the GLVC for steals (1.56 per game).
ABOUT MARYVILLE
The Saints come into Thursday's game with a 15-11 overall record plus a 10-9 mark in the GLVC, placing them in sixth before this week's games. In the previous meeting between Maryville and McKendree, the Bearcats posted an 81-67 win on their home court.
In the GLVC, Maryville is fourth in scoring, averaging 71.4 points per game, third in free throw percentage (75.5 percent), fifth in three-point percentage (32.3 percent), fourth in rebounding (37.3 per game) and third in total three-pointers made, netting 187 on the year.
Offensively, four Saints are averaging double figures including senior guard Antoinette Mussorici (14.8 ppg), junior guard Haidyn Pitsch (13.4 ppg), senior guard Carsyn Fearday (12.9 ppg), and redshirt senior forward Taylor Kirby (11.5 ppg).
Kirby sits fifth in the league for field goal percentage (52.9 percent), while Mussorici is fifth in assists, dishing 3.5 per game. Pitsch leads the Saints with 59 made three-pointers, ranking third in the GLVC.
ABOUT UMSL
UMSL sports a 9-15 overall record and a 7-11 record in the GLVC, sitting just below the Bearcats in overall standings for the GLVC. In the last meeting between the Bearcats and the Tritons, UMSL slipped away with a 60-55 victory on McKendree's home court.
Statistically in the GLVC, UMSL is fifth in field goal percentage (41.9 percent), third in offensive rebounds (12.25 per game) while holding its opponents to the lowest number of rebounds per game at 30.5 per game.
Four Tritons lead the offensive efforts for UMSL with double-digit scoring averages. Sophomore guard Jalysa Stokes fires 17.3 points per game while freshman guard Morgan Rathbum nets 11.1 points per game. Freshman guard Amaya Blake and fifth-year senior center Kiara Stewart each average just over 10 points per game.
Stokes is second for the league in scoring average while Stewart takes second for rebounding average (9.8 per game) and leads in offensive rebounds (4.38 per game).
UP NEXT
This week's final GLVC regular season games will determine the seeding for the conference tournament to be held at Lindenwood University on March 2-5. The top eight teams will participate in the tournament.
