Lebanon, IL - McKendree Women's Basketball could host the UMSL Tritons and Maryville Saints in a standard GLVC weekend, and they would be quite the pairings. In the 2025-26 season, the Bearcats are 5th in the GLVC at (11-6, 8-3), the Tritons are ranked nationally (#25) at (15-2, 11-0), and the Saints are (15-5, 9-3). With the quality of seasons this trio of GLVC leaders are having, it makes for an entertaining way to spend a Thursday night and Saturday afternoon at the Statham Sports Center.
McKENDREE VS. #25 UMSL - THURSDAY, JANUARY 29TH - 5:30 PM
26th Meeting since 2005 - UMSL leads, 18-7
Last Matchup: USML 68, McKendree 50 - February 1st, 2025
Watch Live ($): GLVCSN (John Edwards, Jack LeMatty)
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Tickets: UniversityTickets
McKENDREE VS. MARYVLLE - SATURDAY, JANUARY 31ST - 1:00 PM
23rd Meeting since 2005 - Maryville leads, 14-8
Last Matchup: Maryville 64, McKendree 49 - November 25th, 2025
Watch Live ($): GLVCSN (John Edwards)
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Tickets: UniversityTickets
PARKS NAMED GLVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced its Players of the Week honors on Monday, January 26th, and the Bearcat Women's Basketball program got its first honor of the 2025-2026 season when
Baylie Parks was named the honoree for the week of January 19th-24th.
Between wins at Missouri S&T and Lincoln, Parks averaged 25.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The 69-63 win at Missouri S&T on Thursday, January 22nd saw Parks score the first seven points of the game, eventually ending with her 18th career double-double. Not to be outdone, on Saturday, Parks fell just shy of a career high with 34 points in a 79-68 win at Lincoln.
The honor was the fourth of Parks' career, as she earned GLVC Player of the Week three times during the 2024-2025 season.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS' LAST WEEK
W @ Missouri S&T, 69-63 | Thursday, January 22nd
The Bearcats bounced back from a home loss with a wire-to-wire 69-63 road win at Missouri S&T on Thursday. The Bearcats started fast, as
Baylie Parks scored the first seven points of the game to spark a dominant opening quarter. Strong defense, rebounding, and bench scoring helped McKendree build a 31-10 lead after one.
Missouri S&T chipped away in the second quarter, but timely offensive rebounds and transition scoring late in the half allowed McKendree to carry a 42-36 advantage into the break. The Miners stayed within reach in the second half, yet the Bearcats answered every push with key threes and stops down the stretch. McKendree sealed the win at the free throw line in the waning seconds.
Kyra Taylor finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds,
Baylie Parks had her aforementioned double-double (16 pts, 13 reb), and
Tessa Crawford had 14 points.
W @ Lincoln, 79-68 | Saturday, January 24th
McKendree handled an early-morning road test Saturday, defeating Lincoln 79-68 to earn its fourth straight GLVC road win.
Baylie Parks delivered a dominant scoring performance, pouring in 34 points as the Bearcats controlled the paint throughout and never allowed Lincoln to fully swing momentum.
Kyra Taylor added a double-figure effort, while
Emma Slings tied a career high with eight assists to help McKendree lean on both star power and depth.
After a competitive opening quarter, the Bearcats built separation in the second behind defense and interior offense, taking a 38-29 halftime lead. Parks took over in the third quarter, powering McKendree to a commanding lead, and the Bearcats answered a late Lincoln push with timely buckets and free throws to close out the 11-point victory. Beyond Parks' near-career-high,
Kyra Taylor (11 points, 4 rebounds),
Taylor Fohey (8 points, 4 rebounds), and
Emma Slings (5 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists) led the way.
SCOUTING THE #25 UMSL TRITONS
The Tritons come in having established themselves as one of the league's most consistent teams on both ends of the floor. UMSL averages 67.9 points per game while holding opponents to 53.6, producing a +14.3 scoring margin. The Tritons shoot 42.4% from the field and 37.0% from three, while limiting opponents to 36.7% overall and 29.3% from deep. They also control the boards at 39.5 rebounds per game with a +9.5 rebounding margin, making second chances a key part of their success.
Offensively, UMSL is balanced and efficient, with multiple players capable of scoring in double figures. Mara Rieder leads the way at 20.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, shooting over 51% from the field and nearly 88% at the free throw line. Morgan Ramthun (14.4 ppg) and Jayden Kuper (12.8 ppg) provide consistent perimeter scoring. The Tritons average 14.2 assists per game and shoot 81.4% at the free throw line. Defensively, UMSL forces nearly 14 turnovers per game and adds 6.9 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
Rieder has also been on quite the run this season, having won four of the GLVC's 10 Player of the Week awards thus far.
SCOUTING THE MARYVILLE SAINTS
Maryville brings a physical, efficient style to Lebanon on Saturday afternoon. The Saints average 68.4 points per game while holding opponents to 57.0, good for an +11.4 scoring margin. They shoot 39.5% from the field and 33.6% from three, while defensively limiting opponents to 35.0% overall and 26.0% from beyond the arc. Maryville is especially strong on the glass, pulling down 38.2 rebounds per game with a +3.8 rebounding margin, and they average 8.3 steals per game.
Offensively, Maryville has balance across the lineup. Lindsey Schadewaldt leads the Saints at 13.8 points per game, with Annika Pluemer (9.9 ppg) and Aydan Ayer (9.3 ppg) providing steady scoring support. Maryville averages 13.6 assists per game, and they get to the free throw line at a consistent rate, shooting 75.8% as a team. The Saints commit just 13.7 turnovers per game and add 3.4 blocks per game.
McKendree lost at Maryville back on November 25th of this season. The Bearcats fought defensively, forcing 18 turnovers, but struggled offensively in a 64-49 loss. McKendree shot just 23.0% (14-of-61) on field goals and 12.5% (3-of-24) from three, though they hit 75.0% (18-of-24) at the line and earned 15 points off turnovers.
Morgan Feil led the Bearcats with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 10-of-12 free throws. Lindsey Schadewaldt led the Saints with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Maryville also won points in the paint, 32-12. Bree Shannon (11 points) and Olivia Hahn (10 rebounds) were among other leaders.
