(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 14)—The McKendree University men's basketball team registered its highest scoring output in the program's NCAA Division II era Wednesday night with a 119-92 triumph over Salem International University at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
The Bearcats knocked down 71.4 percent of their field goal attempts (25-of-35) in the first half on its way to a 73-42 lead to grab the victory in their final game before the Christmas holiday break. McKendree moves to 5-4 on the year and will have a little more than two weeks off before hosting Robert Morris University-Peoria on Friday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
 
Sophomore guard Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) led the scoring parade for McKendree with a season-high 27 points against Salem International. Michael dropped in 22 points in the first half, going 6-of-9 from three-point range in the process. Junior guard Justin Blanks (Barberton, OH/Norton) added 22 points in a reserve role, while senior guard Michael Jackson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) connected for 15 of his 21 points in the first half.
 
Senior forward Darin Winkelman (Steeleville, IL/Steeleville) narrowly missed a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Freshman center Nolan Gerling (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) did reach double figures in both points and rebounds for the Bearcats, posting 14 points and a game-high 10 caroms in the win. Junior guard Gianni Otto (Remseck, Germany/Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium) dished out a game-high six assists as senior guard Kyle Yates (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) was close behind with five helpers.
 
A fast-paced first half saw McKendree break open a close contest early with a 7-0 run in a span of 68 seconds to build a 16-7 advantage with 15:48 left in the period. After Salem International ended its brief dry spell with a pair of free throws, the Bearcats ripped off 13 straight points to stretch its lead to 29-9 at the 12:56 mark. Michael and Blanks combined to score nine points during the run.
 
McKendree maintained its 20-point advantage for the balance of the first half before three consecutive three-pointers by Michael fueled an 11-0 burst that gave the Bearcats a 64-33 lead with 3:14 left before the intermission. A three-pointer by Jackson in the closing seconds of the period helped send McKendree into the locker room with a 73-42 cushion. In addition to shooting 71.4 percent over the first 20 minutes of play, the Bearcats held a 22-6 edge on the boards.
 
In the second half, McKendree was able to hold its large lead by shooting 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the floor. The largest lead of the night for the Bearcats came at 77-42 when Michael sank two free throws with 18:34 remaining. The Tigers responded with a 13-1 run to get within 78-56 just over two minutes later. That was the closest Salem International would get the rest of the way as McKendree finished the night by shooting 66.1 percent (41-of-62) from the field. The Bearcats also outrebounded the Tigers by a margin of 47-23. McKendree also made 14-of-27 shots (51.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
 
Jordan Robinson led a balanced attack for Salem International (1-9) with 16 points, while Jarius Farrow came off the bench to post 15 points. Victor Blakey connected for 14 points in the contest as Drew Pitzer contributed 13 points along with team-leading totals of six rebounds and three steals for the Tigers.
 
The 119 points scored by McKendree surpassed the previous high during the Bearcats' NCAA Division II era (which dates back to the 2012-13 season) of 108 points, which was reached twice last season. This was also the highest scoring outburst for the program in nearly nine years, when the Bearcats notched a 121-57 triumph over Williams Baptist College back on Feb. 7, 2008.