Box Score (LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 28)—The McKendree University men's basketball team saw its 2012-13 come to an end Thursday with an 80-66 loss at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky.
 
Junior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) scored a game-high 21 points, which included five three-point field goals, as the Bearcats closed the year with an overall record of 7-21. McKendree was 1-17 in its first season as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
 
Senior forward John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) closed out his four-year career at McKendree with 16 points, including 14 in the second half. Steppe added four rebounds and three assists in his final game with the Bearcats. A three-year starter, Steppe finished his McKendree career with 1,462 points, which was good for 26^th on the team's career scoring list. He wraps up his career ranked among the top 10 in three-point field goals (191), assists (321) and steals (134).
 
Freshman forward Brandon Drum (Peoria, IL/Dunlap) came off the bench to add 14 points and a team-high five rebounds for McKendree, while sophomore guard Mike DiGregorio (Morton Grove, IL/Niles Notre Dame) closed the night with 11 points.
 
Bellarmine (20-6, 12-6 GLVC) took control in the opening minutes, sprinting to a 9-2 lead in the first three minutes of action. McKendree pulled with 16-12 on a lay-up by Drum with 13:45 left in the period before the host Knights scored the next 15 points to extend its margin to 31-12 at the 6:06 mark. That proved to be Bellarmine's largest lead of the night. The Knights shot 53 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes on its way to a 40-26 lead at the intermission.
 
In the second half, Bellarmine connected on 63 percent of its field goal tries and built its lead to as many as 18 points. McKendree kept pace, hitting 58 percent of its shots from the floor and made one final run at the Knights. The Bearcats outscored Bellarmine 11-4 over a three-minute span late in the game, and a three-pointer from DiGregorio with 2:11 remaining helped McKendree pull within 75-66.
 
The Knights held fended off the late McKendree rally by scoring the final five points of the contest to complete the season sweep. Bellarmine defeated the Bearcats 71-56 back on Jan. 21 in Lebanon.
 
All five Bellarmine starters scored in double figures. Chris Dowe led the way with 16 points and a game-high nine assists. Jake Thelen and Keisten Jones each connected for 14 points in the victory for the Knights.