GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE at DRURY -- Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, 3 p.m.
O'Reilly Events Center -- Springfield, Mo.

WATCH LIVE (Drury Broadcast)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
DRURY SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 30)--The McKendree University men's basketball team will tip off the Great Lakes Valley Conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule Saturday afternoon with a trip to Drury University. The Bearcats and Panthers will meet Saturday at 3 p.m. inside the O'Reilly Events Center in Springfield, Mo.

McKendree (3-1)  has not played since Saturday, when the Bearcats had their three-game season-opening win streak snapped at home by Trevecca Nazarene University, 75-58. McKendree overcame a 10-point deficit in the opening minutes to take the lead early in the second half, but the visiting Trojans shot 74.1 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes to pull away for the win. Justin Blanks netted a team-leading 20 points to show the way for the Bearcats, while Nate Michael pocketed 11 of his 13 points in the first half. Malcolm Mabry and Giovanni Offard each pulled down a team-high six rebounds as Gianni Otto contributed four assists and three steals in the contest. 

Heading into GLVC play, Blanks not only leads McKendree in scoring at 20.5 points per game, but he ranks second among all conference players in the scoring column. Otto sits third in the league in both assists (5.0) and steals (2.8) per outing, while Mabry holds down the No. 7 spot in the GLVC in rebounds (8.0 RPG). Otto leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 10.0 as well. Nolan Gerling is fourth overall in the league in blocks per contest at 1.8. 

As a team, McKendree leads the GLVC in steals at 10.5 per game. The Bearcats sit second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.5), turnover margin (+6.5 per game), assists (19.0 per game), rebounding offense (40.8 rebounds per game) and scoring defense (66.2 points per game). 

Following Saturday's contest at Drury, McKendree will return home to prepare for a four-game home stand heading into the holiday break. The Bearcats will host Central Christian College (Mo.) Monday at 7 p.m. before stepping back into GLVC play at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center next Thursday (Dec. 7) when Truman State University visits Lebanon for a 7:30 p.m. match-up. 

ABOUT DRURY
The Panthers are 4-1 overall heading into their GLVC opener Thursday night at home against the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Drury is a perfect 3-0 at home and have topped the 100-point mark in all three contests played so far at the O'Reilly Events Center. The Panthers lead all GLVC teams in scoring at 91.8 points per contest, and also top the league in scoring margin (+20.8 points per game), assists (20.6 per game), turnover margin (+8.8 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (2.1). Drury's high-octane offense also paces the GLVC in three-pointers made at 12.4 a game. 

Three players average in double figures for Drury, led by Isaac Johnson at 13.6 points per game. John Williams is next at 12.6 PPG, with Andrew Ballock turning in 10.2 PPG. Williams is shooting 75.7 percent from the field through the Panthers' first five contests (28-of-37). Ballock paces Drury on the boards at 4.6 rebounds per game and has also dished out a team-best 18 assists. Tyler Clanton leads the team -- and the GLVC -- in field goal percentage as he has connected on 78.3 percent of his tries from the floor (18-of-23). 

McKendree and Drury met once during the 2016-17 season. On Feb. 9, 2017 in Springfield, Mo., the host Panthers defeated the Bearcats 86-73. Justin Blanks came off the bench to lead McKendree with 23 points.