LEBANON, Ill. – The women's basketball team ran away with the win after a feisty first half against Rockhurst University on Thursday, February 27th in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) action at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Illinois.
Score: McKendree University 81, Rockhurst University 70
Record: Bearcats 14-11, 10-9 GLVC | Hawks 9-16, 7-12 GLVC
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams would after each other in the early goings as Rockhurst's sophomore guard Ella Campbell sunk in a three-pointer, to which it would be answered by an and-one play by McKendree's sophomore forward Baylie Parks (Lake Zurich, Ill.). After a made layup and a second shot from beyond the arc by Campbell, the Bearcats enacted on a 13-3 run over the next two and a half minutes to put their lead to five. Campbell notched her third three of the game to stop the bleeding as McKendree continued to sink their shots from around the rim and around the paint. Down by nine, the Hawks nailed back-to-back treys in the final 35 seconds of the first quarter to trail the home team 21-24.
Neither team would go up more than three in the first eight and a half minutes of the second period of play. The Hawks picked up where they left off with a 9-3 start in where they regained the lead. Bearcat freshman forward Taylor Fohey would re-energize the home crowd with an and-one opportunity of her own to take back the lead. The two teams continued to battle for the next five minutes as the score would be knotted up at 38 a-piece. The script would flip in the final moments of the half where Fohey led her McKendree squad on a 7-0 burst in the final 1:27 by scoring five of them to take control of a 45-38 lead heading into the extended break.
Parks and freshman forward Kyra Taylor (Davenport, Iowa) each scored seven points within the third quarter, which totaled the amount Rockhurst had as a team (14). McKendree expanded their lead to as much as 16 points, but the Hawks once again gave some good momentum to end the quarter, as they sunk in their ninth three-pointer of the game plus a layup, but yet still trailing 52-63.
After the Hawks started out the final quarter on a lay-in, the Bearcats reeled off seven straight points to essentially put the game out of reach. The Hawks did make a final push with a 10-0 run, including a pair of threes from Campbell and freshman forward Lauren Sandstrom to cut their deficit to four, but Kyra Taylor and senior guard Maci Meyer (Hubertus, Wis.) sealed the game with a couple of jumpers with the rest of the team converting on their free throws to win 81-70.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
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Parks led the game with 23 points on 8-20 shooting, including 1-2 from three and a perfect 6-6 from the line. She also contributed with 16 rebounds (6 offensive), three assists, and four steals.
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Rockhurst senior center Rebeca Garcia led her squad with 16 points on 6-11 shooting with 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
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McKendree shot 42.4% from the field, 12.5% from distance, and 85.7% from the stripe, while the Hawks ended with 41.7%, 50.0%, and 57.1% respectively.
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McKendree's Parks now holds the single-season record for most field goals made with 169, surpassing her current teammate senior guard Clare Breden (Jerseyville, Ill.), who had 173 in the 2023-24 season. Parks also surpassed former center Shelby Woelfel with 78 offensive rebounds as Woelfel finished with a previous high of 68 in 2012-13.
GLVC TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
With Truman State University's win over the University of Indianapolis earlier on Thursday evening, McKendree will not receive a bid into the GLVC Tournament this season.
UP NEXT
McKendree will be back in action on Saturday, March 1st, when they stay home for senior night and take on Southwest Baptist University at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Illinois, with tip-off set for 1:00 PM CT.
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