GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD -- Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, 7:30 p.m.
Harry M. Statham Sports Center -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE GAME NOTES
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 16)--The McKendree University men's basketball team will host three games at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center this week, beginning with Monday night's contest against the University of Illinois Springfield. Tip-off for the Great Lakes Valley Conference match-up is set for 7:30 p.m. The game can also be seen live on the Bearcat Sports Network at
www.glvcsn.com/mckendree.
The Bearcats were in the Kansas City area this past weekend for what was suppposed to be a two-game visit. However, following the team's 81-65 loss at Rockhurst University on Thursday evening, a predicted ice storm for the greater Midwest forced the postponement of Saturday's tilt at William Jewell College. The teams are working to reschedule that contest for later in the 2016-17 season.
McKendree enters Monday's game against Illinois Springfield with an overall record of 6-7. The Bearcats are 0-5 against league opponents. Four different players scored in double figures in the Rockhurst contest, led by 18 points from
Michael Jackson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon).
Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) chipped in with 15 points, while
Nolan Gerling (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) added 11 points and five rebounds.
David Franklin (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) rounded out the quartet with 10 points while pulling down a team-leading six rebounds. Gerling is the only McKendree player this season to score in double figures in all 13 games to date.
Following Monday's game, McKendree will entertain the University of Indianapolis on Thursday before wrapping up the home stand on Saturday versus Saint Joseph's College. Once this week's action is concluded, the Bearcats will have just two home games remaining in 2016-17.
ABOUT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD
The Prairie Stars are 6-9 on the year with a 1-5 record against GLVC foes. UIS has dropped five of its last six contests, with its only victory during that span coming at William Jewell on Thursday, 89-85. The Prairie Stars feature a balanced attack with four players averaging in double figures in the scoring column. Junior guard Eddie Longmeyer leads the way at 14.5 PPG. Longmeyer has also dished out a team-leading 69 assists entering Monday's game. Sophomore center Zach Steinberg is close behind at 14.3 PPG, while he leads the team in rebounding at 9.8 RPG. Senior forward Paxton Harmon (12.2 PPG) and sophomore guard Vince Walker (12.1 PPG) also average in double figures for the Prairie Stars.
McKendree and UIS met twice last year with the Bearcats pulling off the season sweep of the Prairie Stars. The Bearcats edged host UIS 86-84 in the first contest on Jan. 18, 2016 in Springfield, Ill., before using a rally to complete the sweep with an 88-83 overtime triumph in the regular season finale on Feb. 25, 2016 at the Statham Center. The win in the second meeting enabled McKendree to clinch its first-ever berth in the GLVC Tournament.
David Franklin (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) averaged 29 PPG in the two outings against UIS last season.
