Lebanon, IL - McKendree University Women's Basketball (1-0) had quite the atmosphere in front of them on Friday afternoon, as the Bearcats played host to the Harris-Stowe Hornets (0-4) on Education Day, with hundreds of children having flocked into the Statham Sports Center from Lebanon Junior High and Lebanon Grade Schools. The children were treated to a show as the Bearcats rolled to an 80-44 victory.
Jayce Privia and
Kyra Taylor were both in double figures, but the biggest bucket of the game may have come from
Kylie Moeller, whose layup gave McKendree their 67th point, sending the kids into a frenzy, akin to the recent "6-7" trend.
McKendree set the tone early with
Madison Johnson converting off a turnover, followed by a strong burst from
Kyra Taylor, who scored twice at the rim and completed a three-point play to extend the lead. Johnson,
Tessa Crawford, and
Chloe White all helped generate multiple turnovers that kept the Bearcats in transition, and Johnson added a second-chance finish to keep the momentum rolling. Off the bench,
Jayce Privia scored inside, and
Emma Slings buried a transition three as McKendree closed the opening quarter ahead 21-9.
The Bearcats blew the game open in the second quarter behind a balanced surge, starting with Johnson's second-chance finish and free throw to push the lead to double digits.
Jayce Privia added a hook shot inside, and
Kyra Taylor knocked down a pair of free throws before checking out as the Bearcats kept rolling.
Hannah Fenton provided a spark with a fast-break layup, and Privia added two more at the line after an offensive rebound.
Chloe White converted a transition jumper off her own steal,
Taylor Fohey knocked down two free throws,
Morgan Feil scored inside, and Fenton capped the half with a transition three as McKendree dominated the frame 22-6 to take a 43-15 lead into the locker room.
McKendree continued to pour it on in the third, with Johnson opening the frame yet again by forcing a turnover and later scoring in transition off her own steal. Taylor finished a second-chance layup early, and White added two more buckets inside as her activity on the glass kept possessions alive. Off the bench, Privia delivered a strong stretch - scoring on a putback, drilling a three, and grabbing rebounds at both ends - while Slings knocked down a second-chance three to keep the margin growing. White, Privia, and Johnson all added scoring at the rim late in the quarter, and
Kylie Moeller got the aforementioned "6-7" layup to cap a 24-point quarter and head to the fourth with a 67-29 lead.
The Bearcats were able to rest their starting lineup as the fourth quarter moved on, enabling coach
Kari Kerkhoff to get valuable minutes out of her role players. Fohey opened the quarter with a layup off a feed from Fenton before adding two more baskets later in the frame, including a fast-break finish off her own steal. Privia continued her strong day with a second-chance jumper early in the quarter, and Moeller stayed active on the glass, pulling down rebounds and later scoring twice inside.
Olivia Corson added a transition layup midway through the quarter, and
Maliah Sparks capped McKendree's scoring with a late finish in the paint as the Bearcats controlled the tempo wire-to-wire and cruised to the 36-point margin.
BEARCAT NOTABLES
Jayce Privia | 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Taylor Fohey | 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
Emma Slings | 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Chloe White | 10 points, 7 rebounds
Kyra Taylor | 11 points, 5 rebounds
BEARCAT TEAM STATS
Field Goals | 32 of 75 (43%)
3-Pointers | 4 of 21 (19%)
Free Throws | 12 of 17 (71%)
Rebounds | 58 total (25 offensive, 33 defensive)
Assists | 17
Turnovers | 12
Steals | 11
Blocks | 3
Points in the Paint | 52
Second-Chance Points | 25
Points off Turnovers | 18
Fast Break Points | 14
Bench Points | 32
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic
vs. Purdue-Northwest Pride (0-0)
Friday, November 21st - 5:00 PM
at Pepsi Arena - Quincy, Illinois
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)
