Lebanon, IL - After giving their Field Trip Day guests plenty to cheer about Thursday, the Bearcats are ready for opening night. McKendree University women's basketball hosts Delta State on Monday, November 9th, at 6:00 PM at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center to begin the 2026-27 regular season.

The first meeting between the programs also serves as the regular-season opener for the Statesmen, bringing both teams to Lebanon looking for a 1-0 start.

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Delta State Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC) at McKendree Bearcats (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Date: Monday, November 9th
Time: 6:00 PM CT
Location: Harry M. Statham Sports Center | Lebanon, Illinois
Watch: GLVCSN ($)
Listen: Statesmen Sports Network
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Tickets: UniversityTickets

FROM FIELD TRIP DAY TO OPENING NIGHT
McKendree led throughout its 98-41 exhibition win over Greenville, welcoming students from the Lebanon School District for an afternoon that mixed basketball with coloring pages, music, and games during quarter breaks.

Baylie Parks helped get the Bearcats moving early, creating offense with her defense, finding open looks, and adding baskets of her own. Hannah Fenton and Avery Tibbs found their shooting touch after halftime, while Kylie Moeller contributed both around the basket and from the perimeter.

The exhibition also gave head coach Kari Kerkhoff a look at the different combinations available to her. Alana Francis contributed on the boards and defensively, while Emma Sampson made an impact late around the rim. With scoring coming from across the roster, McKendree had plenty of opportunities to keep the offense up to pace.

EXPERIENCE TO SETTLE THE OFFENSE
Kerkhoff begins her 12th season with a team coming off an 18-9 finish and a 15-5 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bearcats won their final seven regular-season games last winter and were picked fourth in this year's GLVC preseason coaches' poll.

Parks gives McKendree an established option when it needs a basket. The senior averaged 16.1 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 52.3 percent from the field last season, earning First Team All-GLVC and D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team recognition. Her ability to score inside and step away from the basket gives the Bearcats several ways to get her involved.

Emma Slings returns at the point after starting all 27 games and finishing with 106 assists against 56 turnovers. Madison Johnson made 22 starts in her first season at McKendree, averaging 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds. Their experience should help the Bearcats organize as newcomers settle into their first regular-season game with the program.

EXPECT COMPANY ON THE GLASS
Rebounding helped McKendree with its offense last season. The Bearcats led the GLVC with 14.9 offensive rebounds per game and a plus-9.0 rebounding margin, supporting a league-best scoring average of 73.5 points.

Morgan Feil had 4.7 rebounds per game in 12.3 minutes, collecting 52 offensive boards over the season. Taylor Fohey added 3.7 rebounds per game, giving McKendree experienced help alongside Parks whenever it becomes a scramble underneath the basket. 

Delta State showed it can compete in that department during its October 28th exhibition at Division I Arkansas State. The Statesmen finished with a 52-50 rebounding advantage and collected 17 offensive boards. Alyse Holliman led the way with 12 rebounds, while J'Nyria Kelly added seven. Keeping that group from extra possessions figures to be a key for McKendree's frontcourt.

SCOUTING THE STATESMEN
Delta State, a member of the Gulf South Conference, fell 84-60 in that exhibition. A five-point second quarter left the Statesmen facing a 53-23 halftime deficit, though they continued working after the break and outscored Arkansas State 20-10 in the fourth quarter.

Madi Kate Vuncannon and Adyson Roberts shared the scoring lead with 12 points apiece. Vuncannon connected on four 3-pointers and pulled down six rebounds, while Roberts added five assists. Jariyah Williamson made two of her four attempts from beyond the arc, giving the Statesmen another perimeter option.

The Statesmen shot 30.6 percent from the field and went 7-for-30 from 3-point range. Vuncannon accounted for four of those makes, making her a shooter the Bearcats will need to have eyes on. Delta State also converted 15 of its 20 free-throw attempts.

TURNING DEFENSE INTO OPPORTUNITY
Turnovers were costly for Delta State against Arkansas State. The Statesmen committed 30, and the Red Wolves turned those mistakes into 31 points while also scoring 26 fast-break points.

That offers a potential avenue for a McKendree team that averaged 9.3 steals and forced 16.7 turnovers per game last season. Parks provided an example Thursday, taking the ball away from Greenville and helping the Bearcats find offense before the Panthers could get organized.

Delta State's work on the glass in its exhibition showed how quickly a missed shot can become another opportunity. For McKendree, pairing defense with crashing the boards would give Slings and the backcourt a chance to truly push the ball. 

UP NEXT
The Bearcats stay home Thursday, November 12th, to host Union (TN) at 6:00 PM, completing a week of matchups against Gulf South Conference opponents. McKendree then heads to Quincy for the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic, facing Purdue Northwest on November 20th and #7-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato on November 21st.