Lebanon, IL - McKendree University Women's Basketball will finally put its preseason preparation into (unofficial) action on Thursday at 12:00 PM, hosting Division III Greenville at noon inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
The Field Trip Day exhibition will bring visitors from the school district of Lebanon to campus, with the general public also invited to attend. Admission is free for all fans.
Thursday's exhibition will not be broadcast, and live statistics will not be available.
WATCHING THE GLASS
Rebounding provides one matchup to watch. Both programs averaged 41.7 rebounds last season, while McKendree led the Great Lakes Valley Conference with 14.9 offensive boards per game and a +9.0 rebounding margin.
Senior forward Baylie Parks gives the Bearcats a proven presence around the basket after averaging 16.1 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 52.3% from the field. Establishing Parks inside and creating second-chance looks would give McKendree a way to generate offense while its new lineup rotations find their rhythm.
MAKING POSSESSIONS COUNT
Senior guard Emma Slings brings experience organizing the Bearcat offense, having tallied 106 assists against 56 turnovers across 27 starts last season. Her decision-making will be important against a Greenville defense that held opponents to 37.3% shooting a year ago.
At the other end, McKendree's ability to disrupt possessions could create opportunities to run. The Bearcats forced 16.7 turnovers per game last season, while Greenville averaged 22.4. Turning stops into transition offense would help McKendree attack before the Panthers get the opportunity to establish their defense.
SCOUTING GREENVILLE
Greenville enters Thursday's exhibition following a 9-17 campaign that included an 8-8 finish in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Head Coach Roy Mulholland begins his 28th season with the Panthers, having taken over the program in 1999.
Rylee Hipp returns after averaging 8.9 points in 10 appearances last season, while Amelia Shoemaker contributed 6.6 points per game. Mya Mann led Greenville with 66 assists, giving the Panthers an experienced distributor to guide the offense. Cortney Brummer added 5.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and provides another name McKendree would need to account for in the rebounding department.
A QUICK TURN TO THE OFFICIAL OPENER
For the Bearcats, Thursday is the final opportunity to evaluate without anything counting against them.
McKendree opens the regular season four days later, hosting the Delta State Statesmen on Monday, November 9th at 6:00 PM.
