(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 17)—Senior guard T.J. Stone (Hendersonville, Tenn./People's Academy) (Hendersonville, Tenn./People’s Academy) poured in a career-best 24 points to lead the McKendree University men’s basketball team to an 82-49 victory against the University of Illinois at Springfield Thursday at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.

 

McKendree, the No. 18-ranked team in NAIA Division I, shot 54.2 percent for the contest and limited No. 25 Illinois-Springfield to just 29.2 percent from the floor to remain undefeated in American Midwest Conference play. The Bearcats are now 13-5 overall and 3-0 in AMC play, while the Prairie Stars drop to 12-7 on the year and 2-1 in the conference.

 

Stone matched a career-best with six three-point field goals and dished out a team-high four assists to lead the way for McKendree. Freshman forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) was next with 18 points, while sophomore forward Ken Detmer (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) chipped in with 14 points. Freshman forward Brad Copelin (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O’Fallon, Ill./O’Fallon) pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds as Hobbie, Detmer and freshman guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) were right behind with seven boards.

 

McKendree scored the first nine points of the contest before Illinois-Springfield answered with the next 10 to grab its only lead of the night, 10-9. The Bearcats pulled back in front by netting the next 10 points, the final two coming on a dunk by Hobbie at the 9:33 mark to extend the McKendree lead to 19-10.

 

Consecutive three-pointers by Stone ignited a 13-0 run for McKendree later in the period that pushed the margin to 34-14. Illinois-Springfield closed the half on a 7-2 run to pull within 36-21 at the intermission. The Bearcats held the Prairie Stars to just 23.3 percent shooting (10-of-43) in the first 20 minutes of play.

 

The Bearcats slowly increased their margin throughout the second half by shooting 57.6 percent (19-of-33). McKendree’s largest lead of the night came at 80-44 with just over three minutes remaining on a lay-up by Stone.

 

Kelvin Johnson led Illinois-Springfield with 14 points. Daniel Selvie pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds for the Prairie Stars.