Box Score (NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 30)—The McKendree University men's basketball team held off a late charge from Trevecca Nazarene University to post an 84-80 win Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.
 
The Bearcats built a 15-lead in the middle stages of the second half, but held off a comeback bid from the host Trojans to collect the win. McKendree improves to 4-1 on the year and will have 10 days off before opening a five-game home stand Dec. 10 at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center against Robert Morris University-Springfield.
 
Junior forward Jeremy Price (Chicago, IL/Curie) scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half in leading the way for McKendree. Senior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) added 18 points, including a 14-of-16 effort from the free throw line. Happe also dished out a career-high six assists in the win. Junior forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) came off the bench to notch a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while junior forward Arthur Williams (Cairo, IL/Cairo) helped out with 12 points and seven rebounds.
 
Junior guard Mike DiGregorio (Morton Grove, IL/Niles Notre Dame) chipped in with 11 points, and senior forward Will Kirksey (St. Louis, MO/Lafayette) netted 10 points as all six players that scored in the contest for McKendree reached double figures.
 
The Bearcats sealed the win down the stretch from the free throw line. McKendree made 23-of-31 attempts from the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes of play. The trio of Happe, DiGregorio and Kirksey combined to make all 20 of their foul shots in the second half.
 
There were six ties and seven lead changes, all of which came in the first half. McKendree used a 7-2 run to grab the lead for good, 26-21, with 6:06 left in the first half. The Bearcats stretched the margin to as many as seven points before Trevecca Nazarene battled back to within 35-33 at the intermission. McKendree, which shot nearly 52 percent from the field in the first half, broke from the gates quickly in the second half, scoring the first 10 points to extend its lead to 45-33 with 16:31 to play.
 
After the Trojans scored five straight points to pull back within 45-38, McKendree responded with an 8-0 run to take its largest lead of the night. Price had six points during the stretch for the Bearcats, including a dunk and free throw at the 13:57 mark that capped the spurt to push McKendree out to a 53-38 lead.
 
Trevecca Nazarene (2-6) started to slowly chip away at the deficit, getting as close as 78-77 with just over 45 seconds on the clock. But Happe and DiGregorio combined to go 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 1:27 to hold off the Trojans' comeback bid. Happe was 12-for-12 in the second half from the charity stripe.
 
David Woodard scored a game-high 23 points to lead Trevecca Nazarene, while Byron Sanford added 13 points for the Trojans.
 
McKendree and Trevecca Nazarene will meet again on Dec. 16 at the Statham Center in Lebanon.