ST. LOUIS, Mo. - McKendree University women's basketball earned its twelfth win of the season on Saturday afternoon as they defeated the University of Missouri-St. Louis 52-48. The Bearcats improve to 12-3 overall and 8-1 against Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents.  

The contest proved to be a defensive battle between the Bearcats and Tritons as each team shot less than 40 percent from the field and were held to at least one single-digit scoring quarter. UMSL captured a narrow 13-11 lead after one quarter of play, but McKendree would score 16 points to the Tritons' seven in the second quarter.  

McKendree put up another 16-point quarter in the third and ramped up the defense to hold the Tritons to just six points in the quarter. Although UMSL saw a surge in offense for the last 10 minutes, the Bearcats secured the win by four points, 52-48.  

Two Bearcats scored in double figures for the day including junior guard Clare Breden with 14 and sophomore guard Georgia Duncan with a season-high 11 points. Seniors Naomi McDaniel and Christy Fortune headed the boards for McKendree, grabbing nine and seven respectively.  

Coming up, the Bearcats continue playing on the road at Lewis University on Thursday, Jan. 18 and the University of Indianapolis on Saturday, Jan. 20.