Box Score
BOX SCORE

(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 13)—Senior forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) registered his second consecutive double-double in helping the McKendree University men's basketball team to a 75-60 victory Tuesday night at home against Olivet Nazarene University.
 
Rakers posted 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Bearcats broke open a close game with a 24-10 run over the final 10:30 of play. McKendree improves to 8-6 on the year and will wrap up the first half of its 2011-12 season Friday with another home contest against the University of Illinois at Springfield. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
 
Junior guard John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) (Effingham, Ill./St. Anthony) netted 14 of his 18 points in the first half for McKendree. Steppe and sophomore guard Mike Springs (Waukegan, IL/Waukegan) (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) each dished out a team-best five assists in the win for McKendree. The Bearcats have now won five of the last six meetings against Olivet Nazarene.
 
Steppe drilled his first three attempts from three-point range as McKendree opened the game on a 13-0 run in the first three minutes of action. Olivet Nazarene eventually cut the deficit down to seven points before the Bearcats ripped off 12 straight points to regain a 30-11 advantage with 7:53 left in the first half. Five different McKendree players scored during the spurt, including four points from junior forward David Ruckman (Freeburg, IL/Freeburg) (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg).
 
McKendree stretched its lead to 40-20 on a jumper by Rakers with 2:01 left in the half before Olivet Nazarene rallied again. The Tigers scored the final eight points of the period to pull within 40-28 at the intermission. Olivet Nazarene continued to chip away at its deficit in the early stages of the second half, and used a 12-3 run to come within 51-50 with just under 11 minutes to play.
 
Rakers hit a pair of lay-ups on consecutive possessions to enable McKendree to start the Bearcats' game-ending run. A tip-in by sophomore forward Garret Gaffner (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) with exactly nine minutes left gave McKendree a 57-50 lead. After an Olivet Nazarene basket, the Bearcats scored the next nine points to regain a double-digit lead at 66-52 with 4:42 on the clock. Senior guard Kyle Heckert (Venedy, IL/Okawville) (Venedy, Ill./Okawville) sparked the run with a three-pointer, then a steal and driving lay-up on consecutive trips down the floor.
 
Austin Davis came off the bench to lead a balanced offensive attack for Olivet Nazarene (6-6) with 10 points in just 10 minutes of action. Antonio Marshall chipped in with nine points and a team-leading five assists for the Tigers.