(ST. LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 17)—The McKendree University men's basketball team opened its final three-game road trip of the 2017-18 regular season Saturday with an 86-77 loss at Maryville University.
 
The Bearcats gave the Great Lakes Valley Conference Central Division leaders all they could handle before the Saints pulled away in the closing minutes to earn the win. McKendree moves to 12-14 overall and 3-13 in conference play. The Bearcats will play next at Missouri S&T Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m.
 
Senior guard Justin Blanks paced McKendree with 22 points, while sophomore center Nolan Gerling scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half for the Bearcats. Junior guard Nate Bethel came off the bench to net 13 points as junior guard Nate Michael helped out with 12 points and a team-leading four assists. Junior forward Malcolm Mabry added to his team lead by recording his eighth double-double of the year with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
 
McKendree led for the majority of the first half, building its largest advantage at 22-15 after Michael hit two free throws midway through the period to cap an 8-2 run. Maryville battled its way back to take its first lead of the afternoon, 37-35, with just over two minutes remaining in the half. The Bearcats answered by scoring the next six points as Mabry sandwiched a pair of baskets around a lay-up from Blanks. But a three-pointer from Maryville's Nolan Berry on the Saints' final possession of the half trimmed the McKendree lead to 41-40 at the intermission.
 
The lead changed hands five times over the first seven minutes of the second half. McKendree surged to a 59-55 lead with 13:19 remaining before Maryville regained the lead for good. The Saints scored the next seven points to move back in front, 62-59, with 10:16 on the clock. Mabry scored on the Bearcats' next trip down the floor to bring McKendree back within a point, but Maryville responded by scoring eight of the next 10 points to extend its lead back to 70-63 with 7:17 to play.
 
McKendree made one final run at Maryville, using a jumper from Michael at the 4:04 mark to help the Bearcats rally within 76-73. But that was as close as McKendree would get the rest of the way as the Saints pulled away in the closing minutes to earn a share of the GLVC Central Division crown.
 
Maryville entered Saturday's game leading the GLVC in both rebounding (40.5 RPG) and rebounding margin (+9.5 RPG), but McKendree was able to control the glass against the Saints. The Bearcats held a 37-33 edge on the boards and also managed a 15-10 edge in bench scoring.
 
All five starters scored in double figures for Maryville, led by Nolan with 27 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Casey Teson added 14 points while Robin Thompson chipped in with 13 points.