ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Lewis University women's basketball team defeated McKendree 71-62 Thursday night in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game at Neil Carey Arena. It was the final home game of the season for the Flyers (16-9 overall, 13-4 GLVC), who finish the year with an 8-4 record at home. McKendree falls to 11-14, 4-13 in the GLVC.

Lewis scored the first five points of the contest on a basket by Rachel Hinders (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) and three points from Kaitlyn Williams (Homer Glen, Ill./Joliet Catholic). The Bearcats came back to take a 6-5 lead before the two teams traded baskets. McKendree then went on a 9-0 run to take a 17-9 lead with 2:04 left in the first quarter. The Flyers responded with the final five points of the quarter on a three-pointer by Carly Graverson (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) and a pair of free throws by Hinders to make it 17-14.

After a Bearcat free throw to open the second quarter scoring, Graverson buried another three-pointer and Hinders followed with a basket and the Flyers held a 19-18 lead with 8:27 left in the first half. Following a McKendree basket, Hinders and Williams hit back-to-back three-pointers as the Flyers took a 25-20 lead. That lead extended to eight on a free throw by Kae Barth-Lofton (St. Paul, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy) and a jumper by Williams, completing a 9-0 run. The Flyers went into the half leading 31-26.

The two teams went back-and forth throughout the third quarter, with the Flyers leading by as many as seven points and McKendree getting to within two points on multiple occasions, including at the end of the third quarter, when Lewis led 44-42.

McKendree tied the game at 44-44 to open the fourth quarter, but Lewis responded with the next six points to regain command, thanks to five points from Hinders. A McKendree free throw only briefly stopped the run as layups by Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) and Dajae Black (Chicago, Ill./Marist) made it a 10-1 run as Lewis took a 54-45 lead with 4:50 left. Lewis was able to make 13-of-17 free throws in the final four minutes to put the game away.

Hinders finished with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and five rebounds to lead Lewis. Black added 17 points and eight rebounds, Williams tailled 12 points and Graverson scored nine. Hart totaled seven points and seven assists.

The Flyers shot 47.9 percent from the floor (23-of-48), while McKendree shot 40 percent (24-for-60). The Bearcats were 0-for-13 from beyond the arc, while Lewis was 7-for-17 (41.2 percent). McKendree had a 44-23 rebounding advantage, but committed 25 turnovers to 18 from the Flyers.

Lewis will travel to Evansville to take on Southern Indiana at 1 p.m. Saturday.