Box Score (EVANSVILLE, Ind., Feb. 1)—The McKendree University men's basketball team held the halftime lead at the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday afternoon, but the host Screaming Eagles rallied to post a 90-74 victory over the Bearcats.
 
McKendree shot 50 percent in the first half in scratching out a 42-41 lead at the intermission, but Southern Indiana – ranked 16^th in the latest NABC/NCAA Division II poll -- connected on nearly 61 percent of its attempts in the final 20 minutes to rally for the win. The Bearcats drop to 8-10 overall and are now 2-8 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. McKendree will have a tall order when it returns home Thursday to host fifth-ranked Drury University, the defending NCAA Division II national champions. The Bearcats and Panthers will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
Junior forward Logan Carson (DuQuoin, IL/DuQuoin) topped the 20-point mark for the second consecutive game as he led McKendree with 22 points. Carson also added five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals against Southern Indiana. Junior forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) chipped in with 18 points and a team-leading eight rebounds for the Bearcats. Senior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz), playing his final collegiate game in his hometown of Evansville, added 13 points while playing all 40 minutes.
 
Southern Indiana (16-3, 8-3 GLVC) grabbed the lead at the outset, stretching its margin to 19-11 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the half. McKendree answered by scoring seven of the next eight points to pull within 20-18 midway through the period. Carson highlighted the run with a midcourt steal and dunk, followed by a three-pointer at the 10:26 mark.
 
After the Screaming Eagles pushed the lead back to four points, Holmes hit three straight lay-ups to give McKendree its first lead of the game at 26-24 with 6:51 left until halftime. Southern Indiana regained the lead later in the period and took a 41-36 advantage following a pair of free throws by Aaron Nelson with 1:14 left in the period. The Bearcats then scored the final six points of the frame to take a 42-41 lead into the locker room. With the game clock winding down at the end of the half, junior guard Mike Springs (Waukegan, IL/Waukegan) drove down the lane and hit sophomore forward Matt Murphy (Jerseyville, IL/Jersey Community) with a pass in the left corner. Murphy buried a three-pointer with five seconds on the clock to provide the go-ahead basket for McKendree.
 
The teams traded leads in the early stages of the second half before McKendree took its final lead of the afternoon at 49-47 thanks to a jumper by Happe with 16:24 to play. Southern Indiana then took the lead for good with a 16-2 run to take a 63-51 advantage with 11:39 remaining. The Screaming Eagles eventually pushed the margin to as many as 20 points to survive the upset scare from McKendree.
 
Orlando Rutledge poured in a game-high 28 points to lead Southern Indiana. Nelson registered a double-double with 24 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.