Lebanon, IL - The McKendree University Women's Basketball team concluded its preseason on Friday night, hosting the NAIA Culver-Stockton Wildcats from the confines of the Statham Sports Center. It was a game that saw extended runs in favor of both sides, but the Bearcats found rhythm inside and built enough of a cushio to sustain a late Culver-Stockton push and win the preseason finale in front of the home fans, 69-63.
The Wildcats got to the scoreboard first with an early jumper, but McKendree answered quickly, getting a finish at the rim from
Tessa Crawford to even the score, then a jumper from
Emma Slings capped a brief 5-0 answer. Culver-Stockton managed a three-pointer midway through the quarter to grab a lead, but it wasn't without
Kyra Taylor countering with a layup to erase that lead. After the Bearcats were able to steady things on the defensive side of the ball, free throws from
Jayce Privia in the closing seconds pushed McKendree ahead 11-8 after the opening quarter.
Second quarter action would turn out to be much like the first - each possession was contested, and neither side allowed room for momentum, and if they did, it was short-lived. Crawford earned a trip to the charity stripe and kept McKendree ahead, while
Madison Johnson and
Morgan Feil cleaned up the boards to crucially extend possessions in a close game as this one was. The Bearcat defense forced several stops, setting up
Maliah Sparks to hit a transition layup that stretched McKendree's lead to six points. Culver-Stockton would claw back, however, using the perimiter a couple times to make it interesting, but
Kylie Moeller made it consecutive quarters ended at the free throw line, with a pair of free ones from Moeller setting the halftime score of 28-22 Bearcats.
Both teams came out with a quick pace in the third, with the Wildcats briefly cutting the margin to a singular point after making a three-pointer. McKendree's answers came with Taylor powering to the rim for a pair of finishes, plus Crawford added a pull-up jumper, plus Slings scored through traffic midway through the quarter. The Wildcats stayed within reach on a few second-chance buckets, but more Privia free throws and a late stop preserved a 47-42 edge headed to the fourth.
In the final stanza, McKendree found the burst it needed. Taylor opened the quarter with a second-chance jumper, Slings hit a layup through contact, and a defensive stop by Johnson led to yet another transition opportunity. Cuvler-Stockton continued to fight, knocking down shots and forcing a couple turnovers, yet every run seemed to be countered by the Bearcats. Taylor knocked down another bucket to swell the lead to double digits (69-59), before the Wildcats closed the game on a miniature 4-0 run to set the final score.
BEARCAT SCORING (no other stats to be reported)
Kyra Taylor (25)
Tessa Crawford (10)
Emma Slings (10)
Chloe White (5)
Kylie Moeller (4)
Jayce Privia (4)
Maliah Sparks (4)
Madison Johnson (3)
Morgan Feil (2)
Taylor Fohey (2)
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
2025-2026 Regular Season & Home Opener
Education Day
vs. NAIA Harris-Stowe Hornets (0-2)
at Statham Sports Center - Lebanon, IL
Friday, November 14th - 12:00 PM
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)
Tickets (UniversityTickets)
