(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 15)—The McKendree University men's basketball team suffered its first home loss of the season Saturday night against Union University in the final game of the McKendree Classic. The Bulldogs outlasted the Bearcats in overtime, 83-80.
Senior guard Eric Palm (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) led McKendree with 22 points while sophomore forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) chipped in with 21 points and nine rebounds. McKendree, the No. 9 team in the NAIA Division I pre-season poll, slips to 5-2 on the year, while No. 12-ranked Union remains undefeated at 4-0.
The Bearcats trailed 82-78 late in the overtime period when senior forward John Ruesler (Bridgeton, Mo./DeSmet) (Bridgeton, Mo./DeSmet) scored on an offensive rebound and lay-up to trim the deficit to 82-80 with 3.6 seconds left. Union's Tacuma Alexander was fouled on the inbounds play and made the front end of a two-shot foul to give the Bulldogs a three-point bulge. Sophomore forward Ken Detmer (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) grabbed the rebound after the second free throw was missed and passed to Palm, who missed a desperation 60-foot shot at the buzzer.
McKendree led 39-38 at the half and took its largest lead of the night at 60-54 on a three-pointer by Palm with 10:58 left in regulation. Union battled back and pulled even at 62-62 before the Bearcats came responded with consecutive baskets by Detmer to regain a four-point lead with just over five minutes left in the second half.
Union tied the game at 68-68 on a pair of free throws by Martez Hawkins at the 1:38 mark. After both teams came up empty on the next trips down the floor, McKendree held for the final shot. The Bearcats had three shots in the final five seconds to win the game in regulation, but could not convert.
In the overtime, Union guard Matt Neaville took control. He scored nine of his 24 points in the extra period on a trio of three-pointers. Neaville was named the Classic's Most Valuable Player.
Detmer finished with 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, while freshman forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) posted 13 points and four blocked shots before fouling out late in regulation.
Greg Truvillion followed Neaville with 16 points for Union, while Brian Lake registered 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Truvillion and Lake joined Neaville on the All-Tournament team, while Palm, Hobbie and Rakers were the Bearcats' representatives on the squad.
-McK-
