Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 26)—The McKendree University men's basketball season came to a dramatic end Thursday evening with a 69-67 loss against the University of Illinois Springfield at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
Davi Austin hit a 10-foot jumper in the lane with 2.4 seconds remaining to break a 67-67 deadlock and propel the visiting Prairie Stars into the final berth for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. McKendree ends its season with an overall record of 11-15, while the Bearcats closed the year with a 4-14 mark in GLVC play.
 
McKendree overcame a 19-point deficit in the late stages of the first half and built a three-point advantage with just under eight minutes remaining. Illinois Springfield put together a 10-0 run to grab a 67-60 lead with 3:56 on the clock, but the Bearcats battled back with seven straight points over the next three minutes to pull even at 67-67 with 33.4 seconds on the clock.
 
The Prairie Stars held for the final shot, and Austin drove the lane from near the left wing and put up a 10-foot runner that dropped in at the 2.4-second mark. Austin then came up with a steal on the inbounds play to seal the victory for UIS.
 
Fittingly, it was a pair of seniors who led the way for McKendree in their final game for the Bearcats. Forward Matt Holmes (Houston, TX/Marshall) posted team-high totals of 18 points and nine rebounds in the effort. Forward Logan Carson (DuQuoin, IL/DuQuoin) connected for 17 points while adding three assists and a pair of blocked shots. Junior forward John Murphy (Peoria, IL/Richwoods) connected for 11 points against UIS, while junior guard A.J. Schmidt (New Albany, IN/New Albany) matched a career-best for the second straight game with 10 points on the night.
 
Illinois Springfield (11-15, 5-13 GLVC) controlled the tempo early and used a 17-3 run to take its largest lead of the night at 31-12 with 4:56 remaining until halftime. McKendree, which had missed its first eight three-point attempts in the game, used a run of four consecutive trifectas in reeling off 14 consecutive points to cut the deficit to 31-27 with less than a minute on the clock. The Prairie Stars scored just before the halftime busser to take a 33-27 lead into the locker room.
 
McKendree continued to chip away at the deficit and rallied within two points on two different occasions in the early stages of the second half. UIS rattled off seven straight points to stretch its advantage back ton 48-39 when the Bearcats answered back again. A pair of free throws from Holmes with 9:10 to play capped a 13-2 run that pushed McKendree out to a 53-52 lead. The Bearcats eventually built a 60-57 lead following a pair of free throws from junior forward Brandon Book (Albers, IL/Breese Central) with 6:40 on the clock.
 
At that point, Illinois Springfield held McKendree without a point for just over three minutes while putting together its 10-0 to grab a 67-60 lead. Murphy and Jackson scored on lay-ups to begin the Bearcats' comeback before Carson sank a pair of foul shots with 1:19 left to edge McKendree within 67-66. Following a Prairie Stars' turnover, Jackson was fouled following an offensive rebound and put-back attempt with 33.4 seconds to play. Jackson missed the first but made the second to knot the contest one final time at 67-67.
 
Jamall Millison led a balanced attack for UIS with 14 points, while J.J. Cravatta added 11 points. Dylan Sparkman added a team-leading nine rebounds for the Prairie Stars.