Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 4)—A late rally by the University of Missouri-St. Louis sent the McKendree University men's basketball team to a 71-70 loss Sunday afternoon in Great Lakes Valley Conference action at the Mark Twain Building.
 
A free throw by Aaeron Smith with 2.2 seconds remaining following an intentional foul capped a game-ending 12-2 run for the host Tritons, McKendree, which held an 11-point lead midway through the second half, slipped to 6-3 overall and 0-2 in the GLVC. The Bearcats will play host to Truman State University in league play on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
Senior forward Logan Carson (DuQuoin, IL/DuQuoin) led a balanced attack for McKendree with 15 points, including a 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Michael Jackson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half for the Bearcats, while junior forward Brandon Book (Albers, IL/Breese Central) connected for 12 points in a reserve role. Senior forward Arthur Williams (Cairo, IL/Cairo) came off the bench to add 12 points and a team-leading seven rebounds in the contest.
 
Sunday's game featured 10 ties and 14 lead changes. UMSL led by as many as nine points in the opening period before a 9-2 run helped McKendree pull within 23-20 with just over eight minutes left until the intermission. The Bearcats continued to chip away at the deficit and grabbed a 29-28 lead thanks to a pair of free throws by senior forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall). The teams traded leads down the stretch before the Tritons scored the final four points of the period to take a 37-35 lead at the half.
 
Trailing by two at the break, McKendree scored the first five points out of the intermission to grab a 40-35 advantage. Midway through the period, the Bearcats used a 9-2 run to take its largest lead of the contest at 60-49 with 9:05 on the clock. Carson and Williams had four points each during the burst.
 
Missouri-St. Louis (10-2, 2-0 GLVC) clawed its way back to within seven points when Jackson scored on a driving lay-up with 4:41 to play to stretch the McKendree lead back to 68-59. The Tritons then scored the next six points before a jumper by Carson helped extend the margin to 70-65 at the 3:38 mark. A pair of free throws by Smith and a three-pointer by Brandon Marquardt with 2:05 remaining knotted the contest at 70-70.
 
After forcing McKendree into a missed long-range jumper with the shot clock winding down, UMSL committed a 10-second backcourt violation with 1:11 to play. Jackson missed a driving lay-up attempt on the Bearcats' next possession. On the ensuing possession for the Tritons, Book came up with a steal on a jump ball situation to give McKendree the ball back with 30.8 seconds left.
 
Following a timeout, McKendree worked the ball to Book, whose runner in the lane was blocked by Tylor Wimbish. The Tritons then had a fast-break opportunity, but junior guard A.J. Schmidt (New Albany, IN/New Albany) was whistled for an intentional foul as he defended Smith in the lane with 2.2 seconds to go. Smith then missed the first free throw but hit the second to give UMSL a one-point lead. The Tritons then were able to inbound the ball and run the remaining time off the clock to post the comeback victory.
 
Smith registered game-high totals of 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to lead the way for UMSL. Wimbish finished with 15 points and six rebounds.