ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - McKendree University women's basketball reclaimed the top spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference after securing a major win over Lewis University, who shared the first-place ranking. The Bearcats improved to 13-3 overall and 9-1 in the GLVC. 

A tight contest for 40 minutes turned into five extra minutes of overtime and came down to the final seconds of the battle. At the end of regulation, the score was knotted at 65 after a last-second attempt by Lewis was unsuccessful.  

With seven seconds left in the overtime period, the Bearcats had possession of the ball after a tie-up between senior guard Madyson Harper and Lewis's Jenna Badali. Harper drove down the lane from the top of the key and banked in a floater to put McKendree ahead by two with just two seconds left. McKendree held the advantage 71-69 as a three-point try from Lewis missed the mark at the buzzer. 

Four Bearcats scored in double figures as junior guard Clare Breden led with 18 points, seniors Naomi McDaniel and Christy Fortune added 14 points each, and Harper ended with 10 points. Breden was also top of the boards with eight while McDaniel and Fortune snagged seven apiece. As a team, McKendree drained eight three-pointers, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc. 

Head coach Kari Kerkhoff expressed her admiration for her team's play. "It was a great team win for us. I am proud of how our team competed on the road. I thought we showed mental toughness and grit against a really good team."

Coming up, McKendree faces Indianapolis at Nicoson Hall at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20.