ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's basketball team trailed by as many as 22 points early in the fourth quarter but its late rally ran out of time in a 52-48 loss to McKendree on Saturday afternoon at the Mark Twain Building.

The Tritons fall to 7-8, 5-4 GLVC while the Bearcats improve to 12-3, 8-1 GLVC.

McKendree scored the first five points of the final stanza to extend its 17-point lead to 48-26 after a jumper from Naomi McDaniel 68 seconds into the quarter.

UMSL got back into the game thanks to a 15-2 run over the next six minutes to cut the Bearcat lead to single digits after a jumper from Audrey Martinez-Stewart with less than three minutes to go. McKendree got a free throw from Georgia Duncan to extend the lead back to double digits.

The Tritons had chances to draw closer over the next minute-plus but shots weren't falling.

Jalysa Stokes scored UMSL's next five points to pull them within five with 0:13 left after hitting a three with an assist from Martinez-Stewart.

The Bearcats stretched their lead back to six as Maclayne Taylor hit 1-of-2 at the foul line with 0:10 remaining.

Mara Rieder made it a four-point game with a jumper around the basket with less than second to go but the Tritons were unable to get the ball back as McKendree ran out the clock to escape with the victory.

UMSL finished the game shooting 34 percent (21-for-62) from the floor, was 4-of-16 from three and shot 40 percent at the foul line. It outrebounded the Bearcats 40-to-37 in the contest. Stokes led all scorers with a game-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds. Martinez-Stewart added 14 points and seven rebounds and Rieder also had eight rebounds.

McKendree shot 39 percent (20-for-51) from the field in the game, including 5-of-16 from three and 58 percent at the foul line. Clare Breden led the Bearcats with 14 points and was joined in double figures by Duncan with 11 points. McDaniel added nine points and nine rebounds.

The Tritons return to the court next Thursday (Jan. 18) as they travel to Indianapolis to take on the UIndy Greyhounds at 4 p.m. (CST).