Box Score (KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 12)—The McKendree University men's basketball team was handed an 81-65 loss Thursday evening in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Rockhurst University.
The host Hawks won for the fifth time in seven games as Malachi Nix dropped in a season-high 30 points against the Bearcats. McKendree slips to 6-7 overall and 0-5 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will close out a quick two-game trip to the Kansas City area Saturday afternoon with a visit to William Jewell College. Tip-off in Liberty, Mo., is set for 3 p.m.
Four different McKendree players scored in double figures at Rockhurst. Senior guard
Michael Jackson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) led the quartet with 18 points. Sophomore guard
Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) connected for 15 points, while freshman center
Nolan Gerling (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) helped out with 11 points and five rebounds. Senior guard
David Franklin (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) also reached double digits with 10 points to go along with a team-leading six rebounds.
Rockhurst led from start to finish in the contest, opening the night with a 10-4 run in the first four minutes of action. McKendree countered by scoring five of the next seven points to rally within 12-9 at the 13:31 mark of the half. The Hawks slowly increased the margin and took their biggest lead of the half at 34-22 on a dunk by Connor Evans with just over five minutes left before intermission. The Bearcats scored the next four points to get back within single digits before Rockhurst took a 36-26 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Rockhurst was able to pull away by shooting 60.7 percent from the field (17-of-28). The teams traded baskets in the opening moments of the period before the Hawks took control with a 15-4 run to command a 64-43 lead at the midway point of the half. That turned out to be the largest lead of the night for Rockhurst, which maintained its double-digit advantage the remainder of the contest.
Alex Hagan also had a big night for Rockhurst (8-6, 2-4 GLVC) by posting a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds. In addition to his 30-point outburst, Nix dished out a game-high four assists for the Hawks.
