(COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 2)—The McKendree University men's basketball team rallied late in the second half to post a 72-70 victory Saturday at Ohio Dominican University.

Junior forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) led a balanced attack with 17 points, including the go-ahead three-point field goal with 2:43 remaining, to lift the Bearcats to victory in their final non-conference game of the season. McKendree, the No. 14-ranked team in NAIA Division I, moves to 11-5 overall.

Senior forward Kenny Detmer (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) and freshman guard John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) (Effingham, Ill./St. Anthony) each connected for 13 points, while sophomore forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) registered a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for McKendree. Detmer also grabbed nine rebounds for the Bearcats.

Trailing 59-52 with just under 10 minutes to play, McKendree began its comeback. The Bearcats reeled off seven consecutive points, capped by a free throw from Detmer with 5:31 remaining, to tie the score at 59-59. Aaron Gibbs scored on a lay-up and Terence Burse made two free throws to extend the Ohio Dominican lead back to 63-59 just over a minute later.

Sophomore guard Karrington Pettiford (Florissant, MO/Christian Brothers) (Florissant, Mo./Christian Brothers) sank two foul shots to trim the McKendree deficit to 63-61 before Hobbie buried a three-pointer from the corner to give the Bearcats the lead for good, 64-63. McKendree eventually extended its lead to four points before a lay-up by Adriene Rodriguez with 18.5 seconds on the clock brought the Panthers within 70-68.

Junior guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) hit a free throw on the Bearcats' ensuing possession to stretch the margin back to three points before junior forward Brad Copelin (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) came up with a steal and tipped the ball to Steppe, who was fouled and made a free throw with 10.1 seconds to play to give the Bearcats a 72-68 lead. Ohio Dominican scored with less than a second on the clock, and McKendree was able to inbound the ball to preserve the victory.

The contest featured 11 ties and nine lead changes. Both teams held a five-point lead in the first half, with Ohio Dominican (6-9) building a 36-31 lead late in the period before Steppe hit a 25-footer just before the buzzer sounded to send McKendree to the locker room trailing by just two points at the intermission, 36-34.

Gibbs notched a double-double for Ohio Dominican with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Rodriguez added 12 points for the Panthers.

McKendree will open American Midwest Conference play Thursday at home against William Woods University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. The Bearcats were picked as the pre-season favorite to win the AMC regular-season title for the third consecutive year.

-McK-