(COLUMBIA, Mo., Feb. 10)—Senior forward Brad Copelin (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) scored the game-tying and game-winning baskets in the final 10 seconds of play to lift the McKendree University men's basketball team to a 57-55 victory Thursday at Columbia College in a crucial American Midwest Conference game.

Copelin scored on an offensive rebound with 10.1 seconds remaining to tie the game at 55-55, then netted the game-winner with 2.6 seconds left to give the Bearcats the come-from-behind victory over the No. 14-ranked team in NAIA Division I. McKendree improves to 14-11 over and remains in the thick of the hunt for a fourth consecutive AMC regular-season championship. The Bearcats are now 8-2 in league play, trailing Park University at 7-1 and moving a half-game in front of Columbia at 7-2.

Senior forward Eric Hobbie (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) (Vandalia, Ill./Vandalia) led all players with 22 points and seven rebounds as he moved into the top 10 on McKendree's all-time scoring list. Hobbie boosted his career total to 1,759 points, moving past Kevin Schwartz into the Bearcats' No. 10 spot.

The contest was tied 53-53 when Columbia's Jaron Strickland was fouled and made two free throws with 23.2 seconds remaining to give the Cougars a two-point advantage. The Bearcats called timeout to set up a play for Hobbie, who was too strong off the glass with a driving lay-up. Copelin picked up the rebound on the weak side and scored on a reverse lay-up with 10.1 seconds on the clock to even the contest again at 55-55.

Columbia (20-4, 7-2 AMC) fumbled the inbounds pass and threw the ball into the hands of McKendree senior guard Andy Wolff (Centralia, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) (Centralia, Ill./Metro East Lutheran), who was standing near the Bearcats' bench. Wolff drove down the lane and passed the ball to Copelin, who muscled up for his game-winning lay-up with 2.6 seconds left.

The Cougars had one final heave to try and win the game, but a 65-foot desperation shot by Jordan Dressler was off the mark.

McKendree overcame a 14-point deficit early in the second half and eventually grabbed a seven-point lead in the later stages of the period. After leading 29-22 at the intermission, Columbia scored the first seven points of the second half to take its largest lead of the night, 36-22, with 16:28 on the clock. The Bearcats responded by scoring 12 of the next 13 points to pull within 37-23 just over four minutes later. Sophomore forward David Ruckman (Freeburg, IL/Freeburg) (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg) scored six of the Bearcats' points during the stretch.

After Columbia regained a seven-point advantage, McKendree ripped off 14 consecutive points to build its largest lead of the night, 48-41, with 7:34 remaining. Hobbie started the spurt with a field goal and two free throws, then capped the run with a 25-foot shot from the top of the key. The Bearcats held the lead until the two free throws by Strickland wrapped up a run of seven straight points for the Cougars.

Ruckman finished with 12 points and seven rebounds for McKendree, while Wolff dished out a game-high seven assists. Copelin had six points in the contest for the Bearcats, who gained a season split with Columbia. The Cougars defeated the Bearcats 53-46 back on Jan. 13 in Lebanon.

McKendree will play host to Missouri Baptist University in another AMC contest Saturday at 4 p.m.