Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., January 19)—The McKendree University men's basketball team was defeated at home Saturday by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 76-59.
 
The visiting Rangers shot 53.2 percent from the field and matched a season-low by turning the ball over just five times in handing McKendree its fourth consecutive loss. The Bearcats slip to 7-9 overall and 1-5 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. McKendree will wrap up a three-game home stand Monday at 7:30 p.m. when Bellarmine University comes to town. The Knights are ranked No. 12 in the latest NCAA Division II poll.
 
Senior forward John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) netted a game-high 22 points – 11 in each half – to pace McKendree. Junior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) connected for 14 points and narrowly missed a double-double as he pulled down a career-high nine rebounds in the effort. Freshman guard A.J. Schmidt (New Albany, IN/New Albany) dished out a team-leading four assists for the Bearcats.
 
McKendree built an early 5-3 lead before Wisconsin-Parkside (10-4, 5-1 GLVC) used a 15-2 run to grab the lead for good at 18-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. The Rangers stretched the margin to as many as 15 points in the period before taking a 39-25 lead at the half. Wisconsin-Parkside quickly pushed the lead to 45-28 in the opening moments of the second half before McKendree made one final run.
 
The Bearcats went on a 9-2 spurt over a three-minute span to pull within 47-37 with exactly 14 minutes to play. Happe started the run with a three-pointer before Steppe connected on back-to-back trifectas to close out the burst.
 
Wisconsin-Parkside responded by scoring 12 of the next 13 points to regain a 59-38 lead with 10:20 on the clock. The Rangers led by as many as 25 points down the stretch before McKendree closed the contest by scoring the nine of the final 10 points.
 
Jeremy Saffold, the leading scorer in the GLVC, posted a team-high 18 points for Wisconsin-Parkside. Ziggy Riauka and Kevin Senechalle chipped in with 12 points each for the Rangers.
 
Saturday's contest was the first meeting since the 1988-89 season between McKendree and Wisconsin-Parkside. The Rangers won that game by an 81-67 margin, which took place in the first year of competition at the Statham Center.