GAME DAY LINKS -- 
McKENDREE vs. CENTRAL CHRISTIAN -- Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, 7 p.m.
Harry M. Statham Sports Center -- Lebanon, Ill.

WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE GAME NOTES 
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 7)--The McKendree University men's basketball team will resume its non-conference schedule Wednesday night at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center when the Bearcats play host to Central Christian College (Mo.). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The game will be carried live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree), beginning with the pre-game show at 6:55 p.m.

McKendree is 2-4 overall entering Wednesday's contest. The Bearcats dropped their first two games in Great Lakes Valley Conference play last week against the University of Southern Indiana and seventh-ranked Bellarmine University. The Bearcats begin a stretch of four consecutive contests against non-league foes. McKendree will entertain Trevecca Nazarene University on Saturday before hosting Salem International University on Dec. 14. The Bearcats' non-conference slate will wrap up Dec. 30 versus Robert Morris University-Peoria.

In the latest GLVC statistical report, McKendree leads the league in rebounding. The Bearcats pull down 42.7 rebounds per contest. McKendree is second in the conference in both offensive rebounds (12.83 RPG) and defensive rebounds (29.83 RPG). Freshman center Nolan Gerling (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) is the only player in the GLVC to rank in the top five in both scoring (5th at 17.7 PPG) and rebounding (1st at 10.8 RPG). Gerling is also 10th in the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 61 percent of his tries from the floor. Junior guard Justin Blanks (Barberton, OH/Norton) is the top free throw shooter in the conference. Blanks has made 25-of-26 attempts from the stripe to hit at a 96.2 percent clip. Senior forward Darin Winkelman (Steeleville, IL/Steeleville) is eighth among all GLVC players in rebounding with seven per game. Senior guard Kyle Yates (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) ranks seventh in the league by averaging 1.67 steals per outing. 

Central Christian enters Wednesday's game at 3-3, although Wednesday's match-up with McKendree will be an exhibition game for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) member. The Saints will also have an upcoming exhibition contest against GLVC member Truman State University on Dec. 31. DuJuan Henderson leads Central Christian in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. Henderson has connected on 53.3 percent of his field goal attempts this season while adding a team-leading 26 assists. Victor Dean adds 11 points and a team-best 12.1 rebounds per contest for the Saints. Head coach Jack Defreitas is in his sixth season at the helm of the Central Christian program.

McKendree is 4-0 all-time against Central Christian, including last season's 92-57 triumph at the Statham Center on Dec. 9, 2015. In that game, sophomore guard Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) sank a career-high eight three-point field goals on his way to a game-high 28 points versus the Saints.