Box Score (KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 15)—Rockhurst University used a late scoring burst to send the McKendree University men's basketball team to an 88-83 loss Saturday in Kansas City.
 
The host Hawks rattled outscored the Bearcats 7-2 over the final 37 seconds of play as they rallied for the Great Lakes Valley Conference victory. McKendree slips to 9-13 overall and 3-11 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will host Maryville University Monday in a league game that was postponed back on Jan. 5 due to inclement weather in the region. Monday's tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
Junior guard Mike DiGregorio (Morton Grove, IL/Niles Notre Dame) paced McKendree with 26 points, scoring 13 in each half. Junior forward Arthur Williams (Cairo, IL/Cairo) came off the bench to match a season-high with 21 points while grabbing eight rebounds, while junior forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) netted 10 of his 12 points in the opening half for McKendree. Holmes also pulled down seven boards.
 
Senior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) and junior forward Logan Carson (DuQuoin, IL/DuQuoin) also reached double figures in the scoring column with 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Bearcats. Happe dished out a team-best four assists, while senior forward Will Kirksey (St. Louis, MO/Lafayette) hauled in a team-leading 10 rebounds in the outing.
 
McKendree trailed 81-78 when DiGregorio stepped up and hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with 59 seconds remaining to knot the contest at 81-81. Rockhurst worked the ball to reserve forward Andrew Ellwanger, who threw up an off-balance jumper that connected with 37 seconds left to give the Hawks an 83-81 advantage. DiGregorio was just off the mark on a driving lay-up at the Bearcats' offensive end, and Rockhurst claimed the rebound. The Hawks' Nardie Bogues was fouled with 25 seconds to play, and he missed the front end of a bonus. McKendree could not control the rebound, giving possession back to Rockhurst.
 
Ellwanger scored on the ensuing inbounds play and was fouled. His free throw boosted the Rockhurst lead to 86-81 with just over 20 seconds to play. Happe scored quickly for McKendree, and the Bearcats were forced to foul on the inbounds play. Russell Burns iced the victory for the Hawks by hitting two free throws with 10 seconds left.
 
The Bearcats led 41-36 at the half in a game that featured 14 ties and 24 lead changes. There were 11 ties and 15 lead changes in the second half alone. McKendree took its largest lead of the contest at the 7:34 mark of the first half, when a lay-up from Holmes capped a 7-1 run that put the Bearcats in front at 32-23. Rockhurst reeled off nine straight points to tie the game, but McKendree quickly regained the lead and held it the remainder of the period.
 
Brandon McCann scored 19 of his team-leading 23 points for Rockhurst in the second half. Russell Burns finished with 20 points, while Cooper Beckett contributed 17 points, nine rebounds and a game-high six blocked shots for the Hawks.
 
Saturday's game marked the first-ever meeting on the basketball court between McKendree and Rockhurst.