Lebanon, Ill. - The Lewis University women's basketball team began 2026 on the right foot as they defeated McKendree, 80-72, in Great Lakes Valley Conference women's basketball action Friday evening at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
With the win, the Flyers evened their record at 6-6 (2-2 GLVC) while the Bearcats moved to 5-5 (2-2 GLVC).
IMPACT PLAYERS
Ally Cesarini (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) and
Mallory Ramage (Mattoon, Ill./Loyola Chicago) led the Lewis offense with 19 and 18 points, respectively.
Mercy Lasu (Winnipeg, Canada/D'Youville) chipped in 12 points of her own and tied
Jasmine Jones (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) for the team lead in rebounds with five. Yaharia Bueno dished out a season-best nine assists in the win.
Baylie Parks led McKendree with 22 points and a game-high nine rebounds while Emma Slings tallied six assists. Kyra Taylor provided 16 points in the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Down 21-18 after the first quarter, the Bearcats kept the Flyers at bay to begin the second stanza until a pair of free-throw makes from Cesarini spurned a 7-0 run that propelled Lewis back ahead, 29-27. The two sides traded the next few scores, but the red and white kept McKendree scoreless for the final four minutes of the half while adding eight points of their own to enter the locker room with a 37-31 lead.
Out of the break, both teams again found themselves exchanging baskets, but a 7-4 run midway through the frame, capped by a Jones 3-pointer, gave Lewis its largest lead of the quarter, 51-40, with 4:49 remaining. Lewis again clamped down on the McKendree offense, only allowing one make from the floor over the final two minutes to enter the final credentza with a 62-52 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Flyers never relented on offense, extending their lead to as much as 13, 69-56, with 6:16 remaining. Despite a late push from McKendree, the red and white never relented and left Lebanon with an 80-72 win.
GAME NOTES
- Lewis is now 20-3 all-time against McKendree
- Bueno is the first player with nine or more assists since Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) had nine against Southwest Baptist on Dec. 2, 2023.
- Shooting was nearly even with Lewis shooting at a clip of .517 compared to .519 for McKendree
- Lewis shot above .750 (min. 10 attempts) from the free-throw line for the third time this season and first instance since Dec. 20 at Roosevelt. The Flyers went 12-of-15 (.800).
UP NEXT
Lewis will face Maryville in their second game of the weekend on Sunday at 1 p.m.
For the latest news and updates on Lewis Women's basketball, visit LewisFlyers.com and follow the Flyers on social media at @lewiswbball on Instagram and @LewisWBBall on X.
