Box Score (OWENSBORO, Ky., January 31)—The McKendree University men's basketball team closed out a three-game road swing with an 83-56 loss Thursday at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
 
The host Panthers, ranked No. 18 in the latest NABC/NCAA Division II poll, shot 57.1 percent from the field and held a 45-20 edge on the boards in snapping a three-game losing streak. The loss sends McKendree to 7-13 overall and 1-9 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Bearcats will begin a three-game home stand Saturday when the University of Southern Indiana comes to town. Tip-off between the Bearcats and No. 13-ranked Screaming Eagles is set for 3 p.m. at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
Junior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) registered a game-high 22 points to pace McKendree against Kentucky Wesleyan. Freshman forward Brandon Drum (Peoria, IL/Dunlap), making his first collegiate start, helped out with a career-high 14 points in the contest. Senior forward John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds, while freshman guard A.J. Schmidt (New Albany, IN/New Albany) dished out three assists for the Bearcats.
 
There was one tie and two lead changes in the game, all of which came in the first eight minutes of play. McKendree took its only lead of the night at 9-8 thanks to a three-pointer from Steppe with 15:03 remaining in the first half. The Panthers responded by scoring the next seven points to take the lead for good at 15-9 with 11:26 left until intermission. Kentucky Wesleyan later used a 10-0 run to stretch its advantage to 33-16.
 
After shooting 58.3 percent in the first half to build a 45-26 lead, Kentucky Wesleyan was nearly has hot from the field in the final 20 minutes of play. The Panthers made 55.6 percent of their field goal tries in the second half in maintaining its advantage. McKendree did make a run at Kentucky Wesleyan midway through the second half, using an 11-2 run to pull within 54-40 with exactly 10 minutes remaining. Drum had five points during the burst, while Happe added four.
 
Dazmond Starke came off the bench to lead Kentucky Wesleyan with 16 points and nine rebounds. Dominique Dawson contributed 15 points, while Rico Ferguson added 11 points for the Panthers.
 
McKendree and Kentucky Wesleyan were meeting for the first time on the basketball court since the 1980-81 season in Thursday's match-up. The Bearcats and Panthers will meet again Feb. 21 in Lebanon.