Box Score Romeoville, IL - With GLVC Tournament positioning hanging in the balance, McKendree University Women's Basketball delivered a disciplined performance on Saturday afternoon, grinding out a 61-54 road victory over Lewis at Neil Carey Arena. The Bearcats (14-8, 11-5 GLVC) combined for 30 points in the paint with a plus effort on the glass, and even received a 20th career double-double from
Baylie Parks. McKendree may have executed nearly to a tee in the waning minutes, but the Flyers (15-9, 11-5 GLVC) continued to fight, as the game would be a bout that never allowed much breathing room.
McKendree established its presence inside early, feeding
Baylie Parks early and often. Parks scored seven of the Bearcats' first 11 points, converting twice at the rim and adding three free throws while controlling the defensive glass. After a brief deficit, the Bearcats strung together consecutive baskets inside from
Chloe White and Parks to regain control. White finished a layup in traffic midway through the quarter, and Parks added another score in the paint to push the margin to five. McKendree held Lewis to 6-of-20 shooting in the quarter and carried a 16-14 lead after 10 minutes.
The Bearcats were faced with an early Lewis swing to start the second before tightening up defensively. Parks continued to go to work inside, keeping McKendree within a possession, despite how many times the lead changed hands. Later in the half,
Kyra Taylor drew a charge to swing momentum. On the other end, Taylor converted at the line in the closing seconds to keep the Bearcats in front. Although a final Flyer bucket trimmed the halftime margin to 30-29, McKendree went into the locker room feeling good, having forced multiple turnovers and holding a rebounding edge.
McKendree sharpened play out of the break, turning defense into offense.
Chloe White converted a turnover into points with a midrange jumper, and
Madison Johnson got a bucket inside that started to stretch the lead.
Tessa Crawford later connected from the three-point range during a key stretch, swelling the lead even more and forcing Lewis to start playing catch-up. Meanwhile, Parks continued to dominate on both ends of the floor. By the end of the quarter, she had already secured that 20th career double-double, reaching 16 points and 10 rebounds through three quarters. The Bearcats limited a potent Lewis offense to just 10 points in the quarter and carried a 45-39 lead into the fourth.
The Bearcats didn't flinch when the margin tightened back up in the fourth quarter. Parks opened the quarter with another bucket inside and continued going to work on the glass, finishing the afternoon with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Taylor added a strong drive inside and ultimately totaled 13 points on the strength of a 5-of-6 day at the free throw line. When Lewis cut the deficit to two possessions late, the Bearcats shut the door with their most clutch stretch of the game.
Chloe White rose up to block a drive at the rim (one of her two blocks on the day), leading to a transition opportunity where Taylor converted a lay-in to effectively put the game away. Lewis still fought through the final whistle, drawing fouls to stop the clock and send the Bearcats to the line, where
Emma Slings hit a free one to set the seven-point win of a final score with 29.6 seconds left.
BEARCAT INDIVIDUAL LEADERS*
Baylie Parks | 21 points (7-of-8 free throws), 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Kyra Taylor | 13 points (5-of-6 free throws), 3 rebounds
Tessa Crawford | 11 points (3-of-3 3-pointers)
Madison Johnson | 7 points, 3 rebounds
*Stats above and on the box score may not line up. The above stats are corrected against the originally published box score.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
PINK GAME
vs. Upper Iowa Peacocks (13-12, 9-8 GLVC)
Thursday, February 19th - 5:30 PM
Statham Sports Center - Lebanon, IL
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)
Tickets (UniversityTickets)
