(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 29)—Five different players scored in double figures as the McKendree University men's basketball team stormed past Robert Morris University-Peoria Friday night at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center, 109-76.
 
The Bearcats shot 65.7 percent in the first half and overcame a fast start from the visiting Eagles to notch their fifth consecutive victory. McKendree improves to 10-2 on the season and will step back into Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Thursday with a trip to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Kenosha, Wis.
 
Junior guard Nate Michael led the scoring attack for McKendree with 22 points, including 15 in the first half. Senior guard Justin Blanks registered 17 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Nate Bethel – making his 2017-18 season debut – came off the bench to post 16 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes of action. Bethel was 4-of-6 from three-point range to lead the Bearcats from beyond the arc.
 
Sophomore center Nolan Gerling chipped in with 16 points, and junior forward Malcolm Mabry also reached double figures with 10 points. Both Gerling and Mabry shared team-high rebounding honors with eight. Junior guard Giovanni Offard handed out a game-high five assists for the Bearcats, while Mabry led all players with three steals.
 
McKendree held the lead in the opening moments before Robert Morris-Peoria (2-11) reeled off seven straight points to take a 19-18 lead with 12:29 remaining in the first half. After a timeout, the Bearcats put together an 8-0 run – fueled back back-to-back three-pointers from Bethel – to regain a 26-19 advantage just over a minute later. McKendree would not trail again in the contest.
 
Later in the period, McKendree scored 16 consecutive points to stretch its margin to 50-27 with 3:34 left until halftime. The Bearcats held the Eagles without a point for nearly four minutes during the run. Five different players scored during the burst for McKendree, including four each from Michael, Bethel and Mabry. The Bearcats then closed the half on another 8-0 run to take a 62-30 lead into the locker room. The Bearcats knocked down 23-of-35 shots from the floor in the first 20 minutes of play.
 
McKendree did not take its foot off the accelerator at the start of the second half, opening the period on a 15-1 run to take its largest lead of the night, 77-31, with 16:28 to play. Michael scored his final seven points of the contest in the spurt, which was capped with a three-pointer to extend the Bearcats' lead to 46 points.
 
All 12 McKendree players who dressed for Friday's contest scored against Robert Morris-Peoria. All but one pulled down at least two rebounds for the Bearcats, who held a 45-32 edge on the boards against the Eagles.
 
The 109 points scored by McKendree marked the fifth different time that the team reached the century mark in the scoring column this season. By improving to 10-2 on the year, the Bearcats will take a double-digit win total into the month of January for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.
 
Friday's win was also the 1,120^th in the career of McKendree head coach Harry Statham, who is the all-time wins leader in college basketball history at the four-year level.
 
Jamor Stewart and Justin Robinson each scored 24 points to share game-high honors for Robert Morris-Peoria. Steward also pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds.