(LEBANON, Ill., March 8)—The McKendree University men’s basketball team overcame an 11-point deficit in the final 6:45 of play to post a 75-71 win over Columbia College Saturday in the championship game of the American Midwest Conference Tournament at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.

 

The Bearcats used a 22-6 run during a six-minute stretch late in the contest to earn their first AMC Tournament championship since the 2002-03 season. McKendree, the No. 10-ranked team in NAIA Division I and the top seed in the AMC Tournament, posted its seventh consecutive win to move to 26-6 overall.

 

With the win, McKendree clinches the AMC’s automatic bid to the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 32-team tournament tips off March 19 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. Tournament pairings will be announced on Wednesday.

 

 Junior guard Eric Palm (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) poured in a game-high 32 points, including 10 during the Bearcats’ decisive run. Palm made 13-of-17 free throws in the contest in 39 minutes of action. Sophomore forward Ken Detmer (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) added 12 points, while freshman forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) chipped in with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

 

Columbia led 36-33 at the half, then took its largest lead of the night, 63-52, on a jumper by Christian Lewis with 6:45 left. McKendree started its comeback by scoring the next five points. The Cougars eventually stretched the lead back to eight points before the Bearcats stratched back again, and a lay-up by Detmer with 3:22 left brought McKendree within 67-66.

 

A basket extended Columbia’s lead back to 69-66 before an 8-0 run gave McKendree the lead for good. Two free throws by Palm cut the deficit back to one point. Detmer then stepped in front of pass at midcourt on the Cougars’ next possession and drove down for a dunk with 2:09 on the clock to give the Bearcats a 70-69 lead.

 

Detmer followed with a short jumper at the 1:05 mark to extend the McKendree lead to 72-69 and Palm added two more free throws to finish off the spurt to put the Bearcats in front 74-69. The Cougars scored with 18 seconds left to trim the margin to 74-71, but Palm sealed the win by making one of two free throws with 4.6 seconds left.

 

Jason Ellis led a balanced attack for Columbia with 15 points in a reserve role. Mikel Fields and Lewis each posted 12 points, while Greg Stegeman pulled down a team-leading six rebounds.

 

Columbia, the No. 15 team in NAIA Division I, slips to 25-8 overall. The Cougars, seeded second in the AMC Tournament, will earn an at-large bid to the NAIA Division I Tournament. McKendree won all three meetings against the Cougars this year, winning 79-50 on Jan. 26 in Lebanon and 73-70 on Feb. 26 in Columbia, Mo.