(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 12)—The McKendree University men's basketball team ran its win streak to 15 consecutive games with an 86-61 victory Thursday at home against Harris-Stowe State University.
Senior guard Eric Palm (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) and freshman forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) each scored a team-high 20 points as McKendree, the No. 6 team in NAIA Division I, pushed its record to 22-4 overall. The Bearcats kept their perfect American Midwest Conference record intact at 10-0.
After battling to a 39-27 lead at the intermission, McKendree opened the second half on a 16-4 run to pull away for the win. Palm, who scored 18 of his points in the final 20 minutes of play, hit a pair of three-pointers during the Bearcats' decisive run. Sophomore forward Brad Copelin (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) capped the surge with a lay-up to give McKendree a 53-31 advantage with 16:21 to play.
McKendree continued to add to its lead, holding its largest advantage of the night, 77-46, on a pair of free throws by Palm with just over six minutes on the clock.
Sophomore forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) had a double-double for McKendree with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Hobbie also registered a game-high four blocked shots. Sophomore guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) posted 11 points and a team-leading six assists.
Harris-Stowe (7-18, 1-9 AMC) held the lead on five different occasions in the first half, the last coming at 21-20 after two free throws by Frankie Wheeler. McKendree grabbed the lead for good with a 9-0 run, which included consecutive baskets by Rakers and a pair of free throws from Hobbie. The Bearcats eventually grabbed a double-digit lead in the final two minutes of the half.
Terry Hollins paced Harris-Stowe with 16 points, while Stacy Sorrell came off the bench to add 14 points for the Hornets.
McKendree swept the regular-season series against Harris-Stowe. Back on Jan. 15 in St. Louis, the Bearcats registered a 76-62 win over the Hornets.
On Tuesday, McKendree will play host to Columbia College in a key AMC battle. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
-McK-
