(ADA, Okla., Dec. 8)--The McKendree University men's basketball team was defeated in a Saturday afternoon road contest at East Central University, 81-72.
 
The Bearcats cut a 15-point, first-half lead for the host Tigers down to just two points in the early stages of the second half, but East Central rode the strength of a 56.3 percent shooting performance from the field to hang on for the win. McKendree slips to 4-4 on the season and will head to Quincy, Ill., next weekend for the Quincy Subway Holiday Classic. The Bearcats will first meet Grand Valley State University next Saturday, Dec. 15, before taking on Lincoln University the next afternoon. Both games in Quincy will tip at 1 p.m.
 
Senior guard Nate Michael (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Ogden) scored 17 of his team-high 22 points in the second half to pace McKendree. Junior guard Logan Kohrmann (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central) added 18 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Alijah Thomas (Des Moines, IA/Hoover) pumped in 10 points and collected three steals. Senior guard Giovanni Offard (Freeport, IL/Freeport) just missed out on a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds for the Bearcats. Offard also added three assists and three steals.
 
McKendree broke on top quickly in Saturday's game, scoring seven of the first nine points for an early 7-2 advantage. East Central (4-4) responded by posting the next 18 points to move in front for good, 20-7, with 14:16 left in the first half. The Tigers eventually stretched the lead to 24-9 and maintained a double-digit lead for the balance of the period. East Central hit 57.1 percent of its field goal tries (16-of-28) in taking a 38-26 lead into the locker room.
 
Much like the first half, McKendree had a quick start in the second period. The Bearcats opened on a 10-2 run to slash the deficit to 40-36 with 17:34 remaining. Thomas scored four points during the burst, which ended on a basket and free throw from Michael. Moments later, Michael hit a jumper to get McKendree within 42-40. East Central answered with an 11-1 run of its own to extend its lead back to 53-41 with just over 12 minutes on the clock.
 
East Central managed to hold McKendree at bay over the closing minutes to win the first meeting between the two programs. The Bearcats got as close as 59-53 following a three-pointer from Michael with exactly nine minutes remaining.
 
Camron Tally led East Central with a game-high 26 points, while Da'Rion King chipped in with 23 points and a team-best eight rebounds for the Tigers.