GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE at ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD, Monday, Jan. 18, 2016
The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC), Springfield, Ill.
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McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 18)--Two familiar foes will meet on the basketball court for the first time during the 2015-16 season as the McKendree University men's basketball team makes the short trip to Springfield, Ill., Monday evening for a match-up against the University of Illinois Springfield. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at The Recreation and Athletic Complex (TRAC) on the UIS campus.
The Bearcats and Prairie Stars are in the same pod (four-team grouping for scheduling purposes) in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and all teams in the same pod play a home-and-home series on the basketball court during the year. Monday's contest will mark the 23rd meeting between the two programs, who also used to play twice a year when member of the American Midwest Conference of the NAIA. McKendree holds a 12-10 edge in the overall series with Illinois Springfield, and the Bearcats are 4-3 in road games against the Prairie Stars. UIS did sweep the 2014-15 season series, winning both games by a combined six points. Illinois Springfield took a 67-63 decision on Jan. 19, 2015 in Springfield, Ill., before hitting a last-second shot to outlast McKendree 69-67 on Feb. 26, 2015 at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. The latter contest was played with a berth to the GLVC Tournament on the line.
McKendree split its two GLVC games last week at the Statham Center, defeating William Jewell College 69-58 on Thursday before dropping an 86-80 overtime game to Rockhurst University. The Bearcats are 8-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play entering the UIS match-up. Against Rockhurst,
Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) registered 26 points and four rebounds in his first collegiate start, while
David Franklin (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) added 23 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Franklin also dished out four assists as both teams had a chance to win the contest in the closing seconds of regulation. The visiting Hawks grabbed the lead early in the overtime period and never trailed again.
Franklin now sits in the top five among all GLVC players in scoring at 18.6 points per outing. He is also sixth in minutes played (32.7 MPG) and eighth in total rebounding (7.4 RPG). Michael, thanks to his 8-for-8 performance from the charity stripe on Saturday, ranks sixth in the league in free throw percentage at .884.
ABOUT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELDThe Prairie Stars check in at 7-9 overall and, like McKendree, are 1-5 in conference action. UIS won its first GLVC contest of the season on Saturday, defeating William Jewell by a score of 79-63 in Springfield. Jamall Millison showed the way for the Prairie Stars with 24 points, while J.J. Cravatta connected for 13 points and Zach Steinberg added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Illinois Springfield rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit by shooting 60 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes of play.
Millison is one of two UIS players averaging in double figures in the scoring column at 13.8 points per game. He is also shooting just under 81 percent from the free throw line. Davi Austin is the other Prairie Star scoring more than 10 points per game at 10.2 PPG. Austin -- who hit the game-winner last year at McKendree -- has also dished out a team-high 68 assists through 16 games.
The second meeting between McKendree and Illinois Springfield is slated for Thursday, Feb. 25 at the Statham Center. That is the scheduled regular-season finale for both programs.
Monday's game at UIS begins a three-game road swing for McKendree. The Bearcats will head east to square off against Saint Joseph's College on Thursday and the University of Indianapolis on Saturday. McKendree will next play at the Statham Center on Thursday, Jan. 28 against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
