McKENDREE at No. 21 Wisconsin-Parkside -- Thursday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.
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McKENDREE at Lewis -- Saturday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
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(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 14)—The McKendree University men's basketball team makes its longest Great Lakes Valley Conference road trip of the 2012-13 season this weekend with a pair of games up north. The Bearcats will open the weekend by taking on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and will close out the trip Saturday night with a 7:30 p.m. contest at Lewis University. Both games can be heard live on the Bearcat Sports Network at www.mckbearcats.com/listenlive.

ABOUT McKENDREE: The Bearcats are 7-16 overall and 1-12 in GLVC play. McKendree took then No. 21-ranked University of Indianapolis down to the wire on Saturday at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center, but the visiting Greyhounds pulled away late for a 56-46 win. John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) posted a game-high 22 points to lead the way for the Bearcats. Harry Statham, now in his 47th season at the helm of the McKendree program, is college basketball's all-time wins leader on the men's side with 1,068 victories.

ABOUT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE: The Rangers are 16-5 overall and lead the GLVC East Division with an 11-2 mark. UWP has won six straight games and has moved to No. 21 in the latest NABC/NCAA Division II poll that was released on Tuesday. In fact, the Rangers' last three victories have come against ranked foes, including Saturday's 76-72 overtime triumph at the University of Southern Indiana. Four different Wisconsin-Parkside players are averaging in double figures, led by Jeremy Saffold's 18.2 points per game. Zigimantas Riauka is next at 12.5 points per outing and leads the Rangers in rebounding at 6.3 boards per game. UWP won the first meeting with McKendree back on Jan. 19 in Lebanon, 76-59. Saffold posted 18 points in the first game against the Bearcats, while John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) led the way for McKendree with 22 points.

ABOUT LEWIS: The Flyers enter the weekend with a 14-7 overall record and an 8-5 slate in the GLVC. Lewis is coming off a 67-64 win at Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday. Ryan Jackson leads a balanced attack for the Flyers, averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting nearly 81 percent from the free throw line. Jackson had 17 points against McKendree in the Flyers' 81-61 victory over the Bearcats on Jan. 17 at the Statham Center. Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) had 22 points in the outing for the Bearcats.

THE RACE IS ON...: The top three scorers in GLVC play will be in action Thursday evening in Somers, Wis., when McKendree visits Wisconsin-Parkside. The Rangers' Jeremy Saffold currently leads the league in scoring at 18.2 points per game, but the Bearcats' John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) and Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) are close on Saffold's heels. Steppe has moved up to second in the conference in scoring at 18.0 points per outing, while Happe sits in third place at 17.8 points a contest.