FAYETTE, Iowa – The women's basketball team made an impressive 28-3 run to give them a comfortable lead but faltered in the end via buzzer beater against Upper Iowa University on Saturday, February 22nd in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) action at the Dorman Memorial Gymnasium in Fayette, Iowa. 

Score: McKendree University 66, Upper Iowa University 68 

Record: Bearcats 13-11, 9-9 GLVC | Peacocks 13-12, 10-9 GLVC 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Upper Iowa took the lead early on, where they led 12-4 six minutes and 20 seconds in after a pair of back-to-back three-pointers from their leading scorer, senior guard Mia Huberty, and freshman guard Lindsey Davis. McKendree sophomore guard Emma Slings (Polk City, Iowa) answered right back at the Peacocks with a perimeter shot of her own as the Bearcats dropped in 10 points in the final three and a half minutes to end the first period play down just 14-17. 

The Peacocks would seem to pull away within the front end of the second quarter, going on a 16-5 run to extend their lead to 14 with five minutes to go until halftime. Right afterward, the Bearcats pulled off a huge monumental 15 straight points. Freshman forward Taylor Fohey (Quincy, Ill.) started the run by getting inside for a lay-in as Slings and junior guard Chloe White (Brussels, Ill.) dropped in a trio of shots from beyond the arc as Slings connected on the latter two of such. The 15-point spurt gave McKendree their first lead of the game, up 34-33 heading into the extended break. 

Coming into the second half of play, McKendree kept their foot on the pedal, upping their run to a massive 28-3 swing as sophomore forward Baylie Parks (Lake Zurich, Ill.) got her groove back after scoring only four points in the first half where she gave the Bearcats their last 11 points within the run, including sinking back-to-back three-point shots. Down by 11 on their home floor, Upper Iowa would make it a game by responding back with a 12-4 run after a pair of three-pointers from sophomore guard Sydnee Nelson and graduate forward Kayla Bohr to pull within three. With 45 seconds to go, McKendree senior guard Maci Meyer (Hubertus, Wis.) fired in a shot from deep to keep their lead intact, ending the third period up 54-48. 

Despite doing large damage from distance, the Bearcats turned their focus to inside the paint and at the charity stripe where they scored their first seven points of the final quarter of regulation. Within a two and a half minute span, the Peacocks would surge by scoring eight straight points to take a three-point lead. Slings connected on mid-range pull-up right after to pull within one. 

With an intentional Bearcat foul, Huberty converted on both of her free throws to put their lead back up by three. As McKendree had their final chance to tie the game up, freshman forward Kyra Taylor (Davenport, Iowa) rebounded a missed three by Parks in the corner, then kicked it out to the wing where Meyer was positioned as she knocked in the trey and tied the game up at 66-all with a little over two seconds remaining. Yet, the Peacocks would get their last crack at it as their senior forward Helen Staley grabbed ahold of the loose ball of the inbounds passed and launched up a mid-range shot that sunk in at the buzzer, giving Upper Iowa the win on their senior day 68-66. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Parks led all scorers with 19 points, including 15 in the second half as she went 2-4 from three-point range and a perfect 3-3 from the line. She also had 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot. 

• White scored her third straight double-figure game with 14 points along with four rebounds and an assist. 

• Slings dropped in 13 points on 4-9 shooting as she went 3-4 from deep plus four rebounds and a team-high five assists. 

• Upper Iowa senior guard Anna Soler led the Peacocks in scoring with 18 points, going 8-15 from the field and 2-4 from three along with eight rebounds and three assists. 

• McKendree shot 37.5% from the field, 44.4% from distance, and 83.3% from the stripe, while the Peacocks ended with 41.8%, 34.6%, and 75.0% respectively. 

• The Bearcats were +2 in points inside the paint, +12 in second-chance points, and +2 in fast break points. 

• Upper Iowa was +2 in bench points and +7 in points off of turnovers. 

• Parks' double-double was her 12th of the season. 

UP NEXT

McKendree will be back in action on Thursday, February 27th, when they return home to take on Rockhurst University at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Illinois, with tip-off set for 5:30 PM CT. 

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