Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 20)—The McKendree University men's basketball team battled past visiting Benedictine University-Springfield 80-75 in double overtime Friday night at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
The Bearcats rallied from two different deficits – including a six-point margin early in the second extra period – to notch their fourth win in five games. McKendree takes a 6-2 overall record into the holiday break. The Bearcats will return to action at home on Friday, Jan. 3, when the team opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play against the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Lebanon.
 
Senior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) finished just one shy of his career-high with 26 points to lead the way for McKendree. Junior guard Mike DiGregorio (Morton Grove, IL/Niles Notre Dame) scored 16 of his 22 points after halftime, including a three-pointer with 1:26 to play that put the Bearcats in front to stay. Senior forward Will Kirksey (St. Louis, MO/Lafayette) also reached double figures in the scoring column with 11 points for the Bearcats, while junior forward Arthur Williams (Cairo, IL/Cairo) narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Benedictine-Springfield (4-7) trailed 32-29 at the half, but scored seven of the first eight points to start the second half to grab a 36-33 lead with 14:14 left in regulation. The Bulldogs stretched the margin to 47-38 midway through the period before McKendree rallied. A three-pointer by DiGregorio sparked a run of 10 consecutive points to help the Bearcats regain a 48-47 advantage. Benedictine-Springfield edged back out in front by three when Happe drilled a trifecta with 2:04 on the clock to knot the contest at 51-51.
 
On its next possession, Williams grabbed an offensive rebound following a missed lay-up and scored with 1:08 left in regulation to give McKendree a 53-51 lead. The Bulldogs quickly scored to tie the game when the Bearcats came up empty on their next trip down the floor. Benedictine-Springfield's Justin Smith drove the lane for a potential game-winning shot, but his lay-up was blocked by junior forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) and the clock expired to force overtime tied at 53-53.
 
McKendree opened the first overtime on a 9-2 run, capped by a lay-up from Williams with 2:29 on the clock, to grab a 62-55 lead. Benedictine-Springfield fought back and pulled to within 64-63 on a three-pointer by Smith with 25.2 seconds left. DiGregorio was fouled with 16.8 seconds on the clock and he sank both free throws to stretch the lead back to 66-63. Smith came up big again for the Bulldogs, hitting a running three-pointer with 8.6 to play give knot the score once again at 66-66. The Bearcats could not get a shot off before the horn sounded to send the contest into a second overtime.
 
Benedictine-Springfield made back-to-back three-pointers in the first 40 seconds of the second extra period to take a 72-66 lead. McKendree then went on a decisive 12-0 run to take the lead for good at 78-72 with 12 seconds remaining. DiGregorio netted six straight points during the spurt, including the three-pointer with 1:26 on the clock that gave the Bearcats the lead for good.
 
The Bulldogs pulled within 78-75 in the final 10 seconds when Happe hit two free throws with 4.5 seconds to go to seal the victory for McKendree.
 
Cedric Smith led a balanced scoring attack for Benedictine-Springfield with 15 points, while Thomas Dillard and Jordan Michels each posted 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.