(HANNIBAL, Mo., Jan. 9)—Junior forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) played through a sore back to register game-highs with 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the McKendree University men's basketball team to a 74-59 victory Saturday at Hannibal-LaGrange College.

Hobbie, who sat out the second half of the Bearcats' 89-61 win at home on Thursday against William Woods University, scored 14 points in the first half and made four three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of play. He also led the Bearcats with three steals and three blocked shots. McKendree, the No. 14 team in NAIA Division I, pushed its record to 13-5 overall and remained undefeated in American Midwest Conference play at 2-0.

Sophomore forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) chipped in with 18 points and six rebounds off the bench for McKendree, while senior forward Kenny Detmer (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) contributed 11 points.

McKendree jumped out quickly against Hannibal-LaGrange, opening the game on an 18-6 run over the first nine minutes of play. The Bearcats eventually stretched their lead to 15 points at 36-21 on the last of Hobbie's four first-half trifectas with 3:51 left in the period. The Trojans scored the next five points before two free throws from Detmer with just under a minute remaining gave McKendree a 38-26 lead at the half.

Hannibal-LaGrange (5-9, 0-1 AMC) chipped away at the deficit in the early stages in the second half, pulling to within 50-41 on a three-pointer by Andrew Halford with 12:54 on the clock. McKendree regained control by scoring 11 of the next 14 points to take its largest lead of the contest, 61-44, with 9:39 to play. Rakers had six points during the run, and Hobbie capped it with his final three-point field goal of the night.

Darrell Johnson led Hannibal-LaGrange with 17 points, while Cody Stoneburner chipped in with 11 points. Stoneburner also paced the Trojans with a team-high nine rebounds and five blocked shots.

McKendree will be on the road Thursday for an important AMC clash at Columbia College. The Cougars won last season's AMC Tournament championship and advanced to the title game of the NAIA Division I National Championship in Kansas City. Thursday's tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

-McK-