(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 4)—The McKendree University men's basketball relied on its defense to post a 73-62 victory Wednesday at home against Lindenwood University in a battle of NAIA top 15 teams at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
Senior forward Kenny Detmer (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) and sophomore forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) each scored 15 points to lead McKendree, the No. 5-ranked team in the NAIA Division I pre-season poll, to its second victory in as many outings. Lindenwood, the No. 12 team in NAIA Division I, dropped its season opener.
After rallying to take a 33-32 lead at the half, McKendree held Lindenwood without a point for the first 7:36 of the second half and forced the Lions into 33.3 percent shooting from the field in the final 20 minutes of play. For the game, McKendree limited Lindenwood to just 35.1 percent shooting from the field. The Bearcats also forced 18 turnovers by the Lions.
Sophomore guard Karrington Pettiford (Florissant, MO/Christian Brothers) (Florissant, Mo./Christian Brothers) netted a career-high 14 points for McKendree. Detmer added a team-high nine rebounds in the victory, while sophomore guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) dished out a game-high six assists.
McKendree head coach Harry Statham earned his 997th career victory with the win. Statham, the all-time wins leader in men's college basketball history, defeated Lindenwood for the 36th time in 38 games against the Lions.
Lindenwood (0-1) raced out to a 19-10 lead midway through the first half. McKendree rebounded and used a 12-3 run to knot the score at 22-22 with 6:04 remaining in the period, as Detmer finished off the run with a layup off a pass from junior guard RaShad May (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central). The Bearcats stretched the margin to as many as five points before Lindenwood evened the score at 32-32 just before halftime.
But a free throw by Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) with 39.6 seconds on the clock pushed the Bearcats into the locker room with a 33-32 halftime lead.
McKendree then clamped down on defense and took control in the early stages of the second half. The Bearcats scored the first 11 points out of the intermission to build a 44-32 advantage with just under 13 minutes on the clock. McKendree took its largest lead of the night, 55-38, on a jumper in the lane by Detmer with 9:17 remaining.
Richard Rose scored a team-high 17 points to lead Lindenwood (0-1). Toriano Adams posted a double-double for the Lions with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
McKendree will return to action Saturday with a non-conference home game with Ohio Dominican University. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
-McK-
