Lebanon, IL - The shots started falling, the bench delivered, and McKendree found its footing Monday night, using a 52-point second half to defeat Delta State 79-66 in its season opener at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
Trailing by one at halftime, the Bearcats scored 26 points in each of the final two quarters to take control of the programs' first meeting. All 11 McKendree players who entered the game scored, with the Bearcat bench providing a substantial 35-4 advantage.
Senior Baylie Parks led three Bearcats in double figures with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while senior Emma Slings matched her career high with 15 points. Morgan Feil supplied 13 points and six rebounds off the bench as McKendree opened the season 1-0.
WORKING THROUGH THE OPENING MINUTES
McKendree had to work its way into the evening after Delta State scored the first seven points. Alana Francis put the Bearcats on the board with a layup, and McKendree gradually closed the gap behind baskets from Parks and Slings and a Kylie Moeller 3-pointer.
Slings connected from beyond the arc to give McKendree its first lead, 12-11, before the opening quarter ended with the teams even at 14.
Neither side could create much breathing room in the second. Moeller knocked down another triple, while Feil provided offense inside, including a three-point play that brought the Bearcats within one. A late Maliah Sparks basket kept McKendree close heading into the locker room, where Delta State held a 28-27 edge.
THIRD QUARTER CHANGES EVERYTHING
The Bearcats returned with a much better offensive rhythm.
Parks scored inside on McKendree's first possession of the half, then answered a Delta State 3-pointer with one of her own to tie the game at 32. Madison Johnson followed with a layup off a Parks assist, putting the Bearcats ahead for good with 7:27 remaining in the third quarter.
From there, McKendree began finding contributions throughout its lineup. Slings buried a triple, Hannah Fenton finished inside, and freshman Avery Tibbs introduced herself to the regular-season crowd with a pair of 3-pointers. Between those Tibbs baskets, Feil scored on consecutive possessions, helping the Bearcats turn a tight game into a 51-41 advantage.
McKendree carried a 53-43 lead into the fourth after shooting 56.3 percent in the quarter and limiting Delta State to three field goals.
The Bearcats continued answering in the final quarter. Slings connected again from deep, and Tibbs's third triple stretched the margin to 69-54. Feil later converted another three-point play to give McKendree its largest lead, 74-58, with 2:59 remaining. The Bearcats made 12 of their 13 fourth-quarter free throws to finish the job.
PARKS AND SLINGS SET THE PACE
Parks's 24th career double-double came with contributions well beyond her scoring and rebounding. She added four assists, four steals and three blocked shots, collected seven offensive rebounds and went a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line. After scoring two points before halftime, Parks delivered 15 after the break.
Slings paired her 15 points with eight assists and no turnovers in more than 32 minutes. She shot 5-for-10 from the field and made three 3-pointers, matching both her career scoring best and her career high for triples. Monday marked her third career 15-point performance.
Together, the two seniors accounted for 12 of McKendree's 19 assists, helping keep the offense moving as the Bearcats pulled away.
PLENTY OF HELP ALONG THE WAY
Feil made five of her seven shots, giving McKendree an efficient scoring option around the basket. Tibbs finished her collegiate regular-season debut with nine points, going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Moeller added six points and three steals, while Taylor Fohey pulled down seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end. Together with Parks, those efforts helped McKendree secure a 43-35 rebounding advantage and 17 offensive boards.
Fenton and Jayce Privia added four points apiece off the bench; Sparks finished with three, and Francis chipped in two points and two assists. Johnson supplied four points, three rebounds and an assist in the starting lineup.
The Bearcats finished 9-for-19 from 3-point range and 18-for-21 at the free-throw line. McKendree shot 53.6 percent after halftime and committed just four turnovers over the final two quarters.
UP NEXT
Non-Conference Game
BEARCATS (1-0, 0-0 GLVC)
vs. Union Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0 GSC)
Thursday, November 12th - 6:00 PM
Statham Sports Center - Lebanon, IL
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)
