GAME NOTES | WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS

(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 2)--Following a nearly three-week break, the McKendree University men's basketball team is set to begin a new era when it plays its first two Great Lakes Valley Conference games this week at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.

The Bearcats will play their inaugural GLVC contest on Thursday by hosting the University of Illinois Springfield at 7:30 p.m., and will close out the week with another home tilt against Quincy University on Saturday at 3 p.m.

McKendree enters the week with an overall record of 6-4. The Bearcats have not played since a 73-63 loss at Trevecca Nazarene University on Dec. 15. Junior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) poured in a game-high 23 points in the effort as McKendree saw its six-game win streak come to an end. Happe is second in the GLVC in scoring at 19.9 points per game and leads the conference in minutes played. In addition, Happe sits sixth in the GLVC in free throw percentage at .887. He is one of four Bearcats averaging in double figures in the scoring column, and is joined by senior guard John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony), sophomore guard Mike DiGregorio (Morton Grove, IL/Niles Notre Dame) and freshman forward Matt Murphy (Jerseyville, IL/Jersey Community).

Illinois Springfield, which is 2-7 overall this season, is a rather familiar foe for McKendree. The Bearcats and Prairie Stars met 16 times when both schools were members of the American Midwest Conference. The teams also met last season in Lebanon, with McKendree scratching out a 66-64 victory over Illinois Springfield on Dec. 16, 2011. John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) had a team-high 18 points, four assists and four steals as the Bearcats rallied late to take the contest from the Prairie Stars. McKendree holds an 11-6 edge in the all-time series against UIS, which dates back to the 2001-02 season.

Sophomore forward Dylan Sparkman is a top offensive threat for UIS. Sparkman leads the Prairie Stars in both scoring at 13 points per game and rebounding at 6.7 caroms per contest. He is shooting just under 63 percent from the floor and just below 80 percent from the free throw line.

Quincy heads into this week's play with an overall record of 6-3. Junior guard Chris Babbitt leads a balanced offensive attack for the Hawks as he averages 12.6 points per outing. Babbitt has connected on 85.4 percent of his free throw attempts.

Both Illinois Springfield and Quincy have one GLVC game under their belt entering this week's play. In fact, that contest came against each other back on Dec. 8, when Quincy edged UIS in overtime, 78-75.