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(LEBANON, Ill., January 23)—The McKendree University men's basketball team will look to bounce back into the win column as it takes to the road for a two-game trip to the state of Indiana. The Bearcats will have Great Lakes Valley Conference road games at the University of Indianapolis on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. ET before closing out the week Saturday at 1 p.m. at Saint Joseph's College.
ABOUT McKENDREE: The Bearcats enter the weekend at 7-10 overall and 1-6 in the GLVC. The Bearcats wrapped up a three-game home stand Monday with a 71-56 loss at the hands of Bellarmine University, the No. 8-ranked team in NCAA Division II.
John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) and
Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) each scored 21 points in the contest to lead the way for the Bearcats. The duo continue to rank among the GLVC's top five in scoring, with Happe second in the league at 18.2 points per game and Steppe close behind in fourth place at 17.6 points per outing. Steppe also sits fifth in the conference in rebounding at 7.6 RPG. McKendree will be in search of its first road win of the 2012-13 season, coming into the weekend with an 0-4 ledger away from the Harry M. Statham Sports Center and an 0-2 mark in neutral site games.
ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS: In the Greyhounds, McKendree will be facing its second straight NCAA Division II-ranked opponent. UIndy comes into the contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the GLVC and are rated No. 11 in the latest NABC/NCAA Division II poll. As a team, UIndy is shooting just under 50 percent from the field and just over 71 percent from the foul line. Junior guard Reece Cheatham paces the Greyhounds' attack, averaging 17.4 points per outing. Cheatham is shooting just over 48 percent from the field while connecting on better than 86 percent of his free throw attempts. Senior forward James Hollowell is second on the squad in scoring at 14.6 PPG while pacing UIndy in rebounding at 6.4 caroms per game. Stan Gouard is in his fifth season at the helm of the Greyhounds' program. He has led UIndy to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH'S: The Pumas are 4-10 on the year and 2-5 in the GLVC. Saint Joseph's enters the weekend on a four-game losing streak, and will host No. 8 Bellarmine Thursday night. Dayvon Sloan leads a balanced attack for Saint Joseph's as he averages 15.6 points per contest. Sloan also shoots right at 86 percent from the free throw line. Damon Ellison, Jr., is second on the squad in both scoring (13.4 PPG) and rebounding (5.2 RPG). Jon Smith is the Pumas' top rebounder at 5.7 caroms per game. Richard Davis is in his seventh season as the head coach at Saint Joseph's.
STOLEN MOMENTS: John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) has moved into a tie for ninth place on the Bearcats' career list for steals. Steppe enters tonight's contest with 131 steals and has pulled even with former teammate Eric Palm for ninth place. Palm collected 131 steals while playing at McKendree from 2005-09.
RETURN TO THE HOOSIER STATE: Thurday's game will mark the Bearcats' first visit to the state of Indiana since Nov. 16, 2010, when McKendree was defeated at the University of Southern Indiana, 90-68. The Bearcats will be facing UIndy for the first time since the 1964-65 season, and are winless in three previous contests with the Greyhounds. Saturday's contest is the first meeting on the basketball court between McKendree and Saint Joseph's.
