LEBANON, Ill. - The women's basketball team found their grove late in the second half to start conference play 1-0 against Maryville University on Wednesday, November 27th, at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Illinois. 

Score: McKendree University 79, Maryville University 69 

Record: Bearcats 5-0, 1-0 GLVC | Saints 1-5, 0-1 GLVC 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams came out came into the first half almost neck-and-neck where McKendree began things off in period number one with an 8-3 run with sophomore forward Baylie Parks (Lake Zurich, Ill.), earning a couple of inside shots to start what would be an excelling day. Down but not out, Maryville would quickly answer with a 10-4r un of their own as freshman guard Olivia Hahn sunk a couple of shots from beyond the arc as well as freshmen forwards Caden Krohn and Adylan Ayer bullying their way in the paint for a couple of layups to take their first lead of the game. After both sides knocked down a three-point shot and kept it close, Bearcat senior guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill.) took it to the rim and got fouled on a made layup where she subsequently converted on the free throw to give her squad back a one-point lead. Both teams traded baskets in the final three minutes where Maryville would find themselves leading 22-21 

The Saints maintained their edge in the second quarter as senior forward Faith Hawthorne connected on the team's first seven points of the period. Trying to let the deficit grow, sophomore guard Emma Slings (Polk City, Iowa) nailed in a deep shot to tie it up at 29 a-piece before Maryville senior Gracie Stugart responded with a three-pointer of her own. Coming out of the media timeout midway through the quarter, Parks lit up for back-to-back buckets and regained a one-point advantage. The two sides would go back-and-forth for a couple of minutes before Stugart would erupt for six straight points in the final moments to hold a 44-38 lead for the Saints heading into halftime. 

Just like how it played out in the second period of play, Hawthorne started out scoring Maryville's first eight points, but McKendree would keep it competitive with freshman forward Kyra Taylor (Davenport, Iowa) nailing three free throws plus a successful layup for a five-point stretch which was accompanied by back-to-back three-pointers from Slings to put the Bearcats ahead by one again. A good long ball, adding a pair of made free throws from Parks upped the McKendree lead to four before Stugart was able to sneak one inside to now trail the home squad 58-60 at the end of the third quarter. 

Again, the playbook remained the same for Maryville to get Hawthorne hot to start the quarter as now within the final period of regulation, she dropped in the Saints' first five points. However, those five were up against the 14 that the Bearcats put on the visiting team in which eight of them came from the charity stripe, converted from an array of players. That 14-5 run lasted until there were 36 seconds left with McKendree up by a game-high of 11. From then on, it was all free throws for both teams excluding a made shot from beyond the arc by Maryville as the Bearcats would prevail in their conference opener 79-69. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• McKendree had three double-figure scorers, most notably being Parks, who finished with her second career (and second of the season) double-double with 18 points on 6-12 shooting and 1-2 from three while pulling down 10 rebounds in the process. Parks also finished 5-6 from the line and had two assists and two steals. 

• The starting backcourt featuring Breden and Slings each tabbed in 15 points as Breden ended with a team-high five assists in 38 minutes of action while Slings' points were a career-high for her as she went a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc plus three steals. 

• Four Bearcats finished with 6+ rebounds in the afternoon, which includes Parks (10), Breden (6), Taylor (6), and junior guard Georgia Duncan (Washington, Ill.) (6). 

• Hawthorne led Maryville in scoring with 20 points while going 9-18 from the field and getting five rebounds, a block, and a steal. 

• The other Saint in double-digits was Stugart, who dropped 18 points on 5-9 shooting and collected eight rebounds and eight assists. 

• McKendree shot 42.4% from the field, 31.3% from distance, and 82.8% from the stripe while the Saints ended with 37.5%, 23.3%, and 50.0% respectively. 

• Despite the loss, Maryville did outscore McKendree in the paint narrowly, 38-36. 

• Both teams converted on 13 second-chance points in the game. 

• This is the first time in the NCAA Division II era that McKendree has started the season 5-0 in the 13-year history. 

• With her seven successful free throws in the win, Breden now leads the program in the NCAA Division II era in made free throws with 312, surpassing Sydney Diekhoff, who had a career of 307 in five seasons. 

UP NEXT

McKendree will be back in action on Monday, December 2nd when they hit the road to take on Rockhurst University at the Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse in Kansas City, Missouri with tip-off set for 5:15 PM CT. 

For more updates and information on Bearcat Athletics, please continue to visit McKBearcats.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
#BearcatsUnleashed