Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 21)—The McKendree University men's basketball team dropped a 98-70 decision Saturday afternoon at home against Lewis University at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
The visiting Flyers shot 62.1 percent for the game – including a 69 percent clip in the second half – to complete a season sweep of the Bearcats. McKendree is now 11-14 overall and moves to 4-13 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bearcats will wrap up a five-game home stand – and the 2014-15 regular season schedule – on Thursday by hosting the University of Illinois Springfield. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Statham Center.
 
Thursday's game will also determine the final playoff spot in the upcoming GLVC Tournament. McKendree and Illinois Springfield are currently tied for 12^th place in the league standings at 4-13. The winner of Thursday's contest will advance to the opening round of the GLVC Tournament, which will be played next Sunday, March 1, at campus sites across the league.
 
Against Lewis, four McKendree players scored in double figures. Senior forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) narrowly missed his third consecutive double-double as he posted team-high totals of 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior forward Logan Carson (DuQuoin, IL/DuQuoin) connected for 13 points. Sophomore forward Brian Koch (Mt. Vernon, IN/Mt. Vernon) came off the bench to add 11 points as junior guard A.J. Schmidt (New Albany, IN/New Albany) matched a career-high by dropping in 10 points for the Bearcats. Junior forward John Murphy (Peoria, IL/Richwoods) dished out a career-best seven assists for McKendree.
 
Lewis took an early lead in Saturday's game before McKendree battled back in the middle stages of the first half. The Flyers held a 29-22 advantage when Koch drained back-to-back three-point field goals to help the Bearcats pull within 29-28 with 3:57 left until halftime. Lewis responded by scoring the next 10 points to stretch the margin back out to 39-28 with just over two minutes left in the period.
 
After holding a 42-34 lead at the intermission, Lewis scored eight of the first 10 points out of the locker room to edge out to a 50-36 lead at the 17:10 mark. The Flyers continued to stretch their advantage through the closing minutes, taking their largest lead of the night just before the final buzzer. Lewis made 20-of-29 shots from the floor in the second half.
 
McKendree was efficient from the free throw line for the third time in its last four games, making 14-of-15 attempts from the stripe for 93.3 percent shooting. The Bearcats have topped the 80-percent mark from the foul line three times during the first four games of the home stand.
 
Jeff Jarosz netted a game-high 24 points and dished out six assists to show the way for Lewis (20-6, 12-5 GLVC). Julian Lewis added 19 points and six rebounds while matching Jarosz with six assists for the Flyers. Lewis also defeated McKendree 97-70 back on Jan. 15 in Romeoville, Ill.