(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 13)—The McKendree University men's basketball team had its three-game win streak come to an end with a 53-46 loss Thursday at home to Columbia College.
The visiting Cougars clamped down on the Bearcats in the second half, holding McKendree to just 15.4 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes of play, to register the American Midwest Conference victory. The Bearcats slip to 8-10 on the year and picked up their first loss in league play, moving to 2-1 in the AMC. McKendree will look to bounce back on Saturday when it travels to Missouri Baptist University for another AMC contest. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
Senior forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) was the only McKendree players to score in double figures with 11 points. Sophomore guard John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) (Effingham, Ill./St. Anthony) came off the bench to post nine points, while junior forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) contributed eight points and a team-leading nine rebounds.
Columbia (15-3, 2-1 AMC) led for the majority of the first half, taking its largest lead at 24-18 on a jumper by Jordan Dressler with 5:25 left in the period. Hobbie answered with a three-pointer, and a free throw by Steppe just under a minute later brought McKendree within 24-22. The Cougars eventually regained a five-point advantage the Bearcats chipped away at the deficit. McKendree scored on its final possession of the half when senior guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) scored on a reverse lay-up with nine seconds on the clock to knot the score at 34-34 heading into the intermission.
Both teams had a slow start offensively in the second half. McKendree forged its final lead of the night, 40-38, on a lay-up by freshman forward Garrett Gaffner (Breese, IL/Breese Central) (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) at the 12:47 mark. From there, Columbia's defense shut down the Bearcats' attack. McKendree missed its next eight shots as the Cougars used a 10-0 run to build a 48-40 advantage. The Bearcats' scoring drought came to an end when Hobbie drilled a three-pointer with 4:40 to play, keying a 6-0 spurt that helped McKendree rally within 48-46.
But Columbia pulled away down the stretch, hitting 5-of-6 free throws in a crucial two-minute stretch late in the game. McKendree also came away empty on its final five shot attempts as the Cougars won for just the second time in the last 12 meetings with the Bearcats.
Henrique Medeiros led Columbia with a game-high 14 points, while Devin Griffin posted eight points in a reserve role. Dressler pulled down a game-best 13 rebounds for the Cougars.
The teams will meet again Feb. 10 in Columbia, Mo.
