(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 22)—Senior forward Mike Strobbe (Ferguson, Mo./McCluer) joined an exclusive club in leading the McKendree College men’s basketball team to a 95-85 victory Wednesday at home against Benedictine College.

 

Strobbe (Ferguson, Mo./McCluer) hauled in a season-high 17 rebounds to push his career total to 1,003. Strobbe becomes the ninth player in McKendree history to grab 1,000 career rebounds, and the first since Matt Laur accomplished the feat in 2002. All nine members of the Bearcats’ 1,000-rebound club are also 1,000-point scorers at McKendree.

 

McKendree improves to 5-3 overall and will head to Jackson, Tenn., this weekend for the Union University Thanksgiving Classic. The Bearcats will meet host Union University Friday at 8 p.m. before taking on Freed-Hardeman University Saturday at 4 p.m.

 

As a team, McKendree shot 58.6 percent from the field, including a 59.4 percent clip (19-of-32) in the first half to build a 43-38 lead at the intermission. The Bearcats appeared to be pulling away, thanks to a 7-2 run that gave McKendree its largest lead of the night, 80-66, with 5:54 remaining.

 

Benedictine (4-2) stormed back, and a basket by Dan Van Dyke with 1:49 on the clock brought the Ravens within 83-80. Sophomore guard Eric Palm (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) countered on the Bearcats’ next possession with a short jumper to help McKendree regain an 85-80 advantage. The Bearcats then iced the game at the free throw line, hitting 10 free throws in the final 51 seconds.

 

All five McKendree starters scored in double figures, led by Palm’s season-high 24 points. The Bearcats received 23 points from sophomore forward Nick Livas (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge) (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge), while Strobbe finished with 18 points. Senior forward Mark Stovall (St. Louis, Mo./Jennings) (St. Louis, Mo./Jennings) chipped in with 11 points, and junior guard T.J. Stone (Hendersonville, Tenn./People's Academy) (Hendersonville, Tenn./People’s Baptist) added 10 points and a season-high seven assists.

 

Van Dyke paced Benedictine with 18 points, while Drew Huppe had 14 points for the Ravens.