LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree (Ill.) (15-8, 12-5 GLVC) used a 19-4 run from 3:20 in the third quarter to 6:25 in the fourth quarter to defeat Upper Iowa (13-13, 9-9 GLVC), 73-60, on Thursday. Ellie Foster led the Peacocks with 20 points while shooting 7-of-11 (63.6%) from the field and 5-of-6 (83.3%) from behind the arc. 

Emma Slings scored 11 points for the Bearcats during that 19-4 run to gain a 65-52 advantage. Ava Privet and Ellie Foster battled back with 3-pointers to cut the lead to eight with 3:28 to go, but a final 7-0 run by McKendree iced the game. 

It was a back-and-forth game before the McKendree run, featuring eight lead changes and seven ties. Ellie Foster, Kendyl Lodermeier and Sydnee Nelson each scored six points in a high-scoring first quarter. McKendree led 22-20 at the end of the quarter, as both teams shot a combined 18-of-33 (54.5%) from the field. 

The Bearcats opened the second quarter on a 7-0 spurt to lead, 29-20. A Josie Foster jumper, two Privet field goals and an Amelia Valentino 3-pointer put up a 9-0 run for the Peacocks to tie the game. McKendree held a slight 35-33 advantage going into the half. 

In the third quarter, an Ellie Foster and-one tied the game at 42-42. The graduate drained a 3-pointer on the next possession to lead, 45-42. She later made another 3-pointer to lead 48-46 with 4:20 left in the period. That was UIU's last lead of the game before the 19-4 run. 

11 of Ellie Foster's 20 points came in the third quarter. She also had three assists and a rebound. Josie Foster and Lodermeier scored 10 points each. Josie Foster grabbed six rebounds with three blocked shots. 

Privet tallied nine points, four rebounds, a steal and a block. Nelson had six points, six assists and two steals. Valentino had three points and Bryar Duwe had two points. 

McKendree was led by Baylie Parks, recording a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Slings scored 15 points, shooting 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. Kyra Taylor scored 15 points and Chloe White had 10 points. 

The Peacocks committed 15 fouls compared to eight committed by the Bearcats. That discrepancy led to McKendree shooting 15-of-19 (78.9%) from the free-throw line compared to 1-of-3 (33.3%) for UIU. Ellie Foster was the only Peacock to get to the charity stripe. 

McKendree outrebounded Upper Iowa 45-28 with 19 offensive boards. UIU committed 16 turnovers while McKendree committed 11. The Bearcats outscored the Peacocks 23-9 off turnovers. 

UIU shot 26-of-57 (45.6%) from the field and 7-of-21 (33.3%) from behind the arc. McKendree was 26-of-67 (38.8%) from the field and 6-of-19 (31.6%) on 3-pointers. The Bearcats led for 30:25 of the contest.

With the loss, the Peacocks dropped to ninth with a 3.03 rating in the GLVC Tournament Point Rating System. Illinois Springfield (12-13, 9-8 GLVC) jumped Upper Iowa with a 3.09 rating. The top eight teams make the conference tournament. 

The Peacocks face the Prairie Stars on Saturday in the crucial matchup to make the conference tournament. UIS defeated Lewis (Ill.) (15-10, 11-6 GLVC), 59-56, on Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the TRAC in Springfield, Illinois.