(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 1)—Junior guard Eric Palm (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) scored a game-high 20 points to help lead the McKendree University men’s basketball team to a 74-57 home victory Thursday in the Bearcats’ 2007-08 season opener at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.

 

McKendree, ranked No. 23 in the NAIA Division I men’s basketball pre-season poll, grabbed the lead six minutes into the contest and never looked back to post the win. The Bearcats led 44-32 at the intermission and built its advantage to as many as 19 points in the final 20 minutes of play. McKendree has now won its season-opening game in 13 of the last 14 years.

 

Freshman forwards Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) and Brad Copelin (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O’Fallon, Ill./O’Fallon) each chipped in with 12 points, while senior guard T.J. Stone (Hendersonville, Tenn./People's Academy) (Hendersonville, Tenn./People’s Academy) finished with 10 points for the Bearcats. Hobbie pulled down a game-high eight rebounds and freshman guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) dished out seven assists in the victory.

 

In the first half, McKendree used a 17-4 run to grab the lead for good, 25-15, with 7:26 remaining in the period. Five different players scored during the spurt, led by six points from Palm.

 

Trinity International (0-1) scored the first seven points of the second half to pull within 44-39 with 16:17 left. McKendree then pulled away by scoring 16 of the next 20 points to extend its margin to 60-43 at the 7:26 mark.

 

Levi Arnold led Trinity International with 15 points, while Christopher Schmidt had 12 points. Chad Reilly contributed 11 points and a game-high 12 assists for the Trojans.