Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 6)—The McKendree University men's basketball team came within seconds of posting the biggest victory in its first year as full members of NCAA before falling to Drury University, 78-74, on Thursday evening at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
The Panthers, ranked No. 4 in the latest NABC/NCAA Division II poll, scored the last five points of the game in the final 28 seconds to rally for the win. McKendree is now 8-11 overall and 2-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and will host Missouri S & T for Senior Day on Saturday in Lebanon. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
 
Junior guard Mike DiGregorio (Morton Grove, IL/Niles Notre Dame) scored 13 of his team-high 16 points in the second half and added three steals to lead the way for McKendree. Junior forward Logan Carson (DuQuoin, IL/DuQuoin) chipped in with 14 points, while senior guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) netted 13 points and dished out four assists for the Bearcats. Junior forwards Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) and Arthur Williams (Cairo, IL/Cairo) had identical stat lines of six points and a game-high 11 rebounds against Drury.
 
McKendree, which led for most of the contest, led by as many as four points down the stretch before Drury scratched out a 73-72 lead on a lay-up by Sean Osler with 1:15 to play. The Bearcats were able to break the full-court pressure by the Panthers on the inbounds, and Happe had a driving lay-up attempt seconds later. Happe was fouled on the shot attempt and made two free throws with 1:02 on the clock to push McKendree back in front at 74-73.
 
Osler missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, but the Bearcats turned the ball over to give Drury another opportunity to regain the lead. Kameron Bundy then put the Panthers in front to stay on a driving lay-up with 28 seconds remaining to give Drury a 75-74 lead.
 
Following a Drury timeout, McKendree worked the ball to DiGregorio, who passed up a 15-foot jumper and tried to feed the ball underneath to Holmes. The ball was deflected by a Panthers' defender off the fingertips of Holmes with 10 seconds to play, giving the ball back to Drury. Osler then scored on a breakaway lay-up and free throw with seven seconds to go, giving Drury a two-possession lead.
 
The Bearcats controlled the tempo in the first half and used a 15-2 run to take a 28-19 lead with 6:06 left in the period. McKendree held Drury to just one field goal over a five-minute stretch during the burst. Springs went 3-for-3 during the run, including back-to-back driving lay-ups by junior guard Mike Springs (Waukegan, IL/Waukegan) within a 30-second span. McKendree eventually took its largest lead of the game at 31-21 thanks to a three-pointer by sophomore forward Matt Murphy (Jerseyville, IL/Jersey Community) at the 5:40 mark of the period.
 
Drury (19-1, 11-1 GLVC) chipped away at the deficit and regained the lead on its final possession of the first half. The Panthers closed the period on an 8-2 run, and two free throws from Drake Patterson with 38 seconds on the clock pushed Drury out to a 35-34 halftime advantage.
     
There were five ties and six lead changes in the second half. McKendree regained the lead early in the period and scored seven consecutive points to build a 60-53 cushion with 7:23 to play. Consecutive three-pointers by Happe and Carson broke a 53-53 tie, and Holmes ended the run with a free throw. The Bearcats were able to hold the lead down the stretch as DiGregorio made six straight free throws.

Springs dished out a team-leading five assists for McKendree, giving him 37 assists over his last six contests.
 
Bundy had 17 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to pace Drury. He also dished out eight assists. Ian Carter added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Panthers.