LEBANON, Ill. - The William Jewell women's basketball team fell short in the final moments on Saturday at McKendree University by a final of 71-66. The Cardinals drop to 2-6 on the season and 1-2 in conference play. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bearcats jumped out to an 11-2 lead, just over three minutes into the game, forcing an early Jewell timeout.
• Trailing by seven after one period the Cardinals made a run in the second frame, outscoring McKendree 12-4 over the first four-plus minutes to take a 29-28 lead. Jewell got the final bucket of the half and trailed 40-39 at the break. 
• The Cardinals got a three from Averi Porter and a layup by Emree Zars to take a 46-42 lead early in the second half. McKendree ended the quarter on an 11-4 run to hold a three-point advantage. 
• In the fourth, the Bearcats pushed their lead to six but a three from Kate Hillyer gave Jewell a one point lead with under three minutes to go. McKendree hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to escape with the five point win. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Zars finished with a game high 23 points and seven rebounds while Ayden Shannon added 13 points and four assists. 
• Jewell shot 43% from the floor, scoring 30 points in the paint. 
• The Cardinals forced 15 McKendree turnovers, leading to 19 points 
   

UP NEXT
Jewell continues their early December road trip on Tuesday with a stop at No. 6 Drury University. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.