Box Score (SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 18)—The McKendree University men's basketball team posted a hard-fought 86-84 road victory Monday evening at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Junior guards
David Franklin (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) and
Michael Jackson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) shared team-high scoring honors with 21 points each while junior forward
Darin Winkelman (Steeleville, IL/Steeleville) chipped in with 16 points as the Bearcats earned their first win over Illinois Springfield since Jan. 20, 2014. Franklin closed the night with a double-double as he added a game-high 11 rebounds in the effort.
McKendree improves to 9-6 on the year and is now 2-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bearcats will continue their three-game road swing Thursday by heading east to square off against Saint Joseph's College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Rensselaer, Ind.
Monday's victory also marked career win No. 1,097 for McKendree men's head basketball coach
Harry Statham. Already the all-time wins leader in men's college basketball history at the four-year level, Statham has pulled within one victory of matching the all-time wins record (men's and women's) of 1,098, which is currently held by former University of Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt.
In a game that featured 15 ties and 13 lead changes, McKendree used a 10-2 run to grab a 67-60 lead with 8:03 remaining. Illinois Springfield answered with seven straight points to tie the contest at 67-67 just over a minute later. On the Bearcats' next possession, Winkelman drilled a three-pointer and Franklin followed with two free throws to push McKendree in front for good at 72-67 with 5:17 to play.
The Prairie Stars did not go away and clawed within 72-71 at the 3:30 mark. The teams then battled down the stretch as McKendree was able to maintain its advantage at the free throw line. The Bearcats made 12 foul shots in the final 1:54 of play to hold off Illinois Springfield. With McKendree clinging to an 84-81 lead and just over six seconds to play, freshman guard
Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) sank a pair of free throws to seal the win. Michael closed the night with 13 points while dishing out three assists.
McKendree and Illinois Springfield combined to make 52 free throws on the night, including 28 by the Bearcats. In fact, McKendree was 21-of-28 (75 percent) from the charity stripe over the final 20 minutes.
In the first half, the teams were evenly matched as there were 10 ties and seven lead changes. McKendree held the largest lead of either team in the opening period, building a five-point advantage on three different occasions. Michael dropped in two free throws with 1:08 left until halftime before the Prairie Stars scored the final five points of the stanza to knot the score at 40-40 heading into the locker room.
With its victory on Monday, McKendree improves to 13-10 all-time against Illinois Springfield. The Bearcats are now 5-3 in road games against the Prairie Stars. Prior to Monday, McKendree last defeated UIS in a 102-100 overtime decision on Jan. 20, 2014 at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
