GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. BELLARMINE -- Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, 7:30 p.m.
Harry M. Statham Sports Center -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
BELLARMINE SEASON STATISTICS
McKENDREE vs. ROCKHURST -- Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018, 3 p.m.
Harry M. Statham Sports Center -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
BELLARMINE SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 8)--The McKendree University men's basketball team is set to begin its final three-game home stretch of the 2017-18 season this week with a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents. The Bearcats will open the week with a visit from Bellarmine University, the No. 7-ranked team in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll on Thursday evening at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. McKendree will then host Rockhurst University for Senior Day on Saturday.
McKendree brings an 11-11 overall record and a 2-10 GLVC mark into this week's play. The Bearcats are currently 13th in the inaugural GLVC Point Ranking System, which plays a large role in selecting the eight-team field for the GLVC Tournament to be held March 1-4 in Edwardsville, Ill. Including the two games this week, just six contests remain on the Bearcats' 2017-18 regular-season slate.
Last week, McKendree hit the road for a pair of GLVC contests. The Bearcats battled their way to the closing seconds at the University of Indianapolis before the host Greyhounds held on for an 80-75 win last Thursday. McKendree closed out the week with a 91-77 setback at Lewis University.
Justin Blanks continues to lead the GLVC in scoring at 19 PPG. Blanks has scored in double figures in all but one of the Bearcats' 22 games this season. Nate Michael, who is second on the squad in scoring at 13.2 PPG, has begun his ascent up the McKendree career scoring list. Michael dropped in 13 points in the Bearcats' last game at Lewis, giving him 1,044 for his career. Michael is now 44th on the all-time scoring list at McKendree.
Malcolm Mabry holds down the No. 4 spot in the GLVC in rebounding at 9.6 RPG. Mabry has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in four straight games and five of the last six. He has a team-leading six double-doubles on the year.
On Saturday, McKendree will honor Blanks and Gianni Otto during Senior Day activities prior to tip-off of the contest against Rockhurst. Both Blanks and Otto have been two-year members of the McKendree squad and serve as co-captains of the Bearcats' 2017-18 team.
ABOUT BELLARMINE
The Knights are 20-2 on the year and currently hold the best record in the GLVC at 11-2. Bellarmine has won its last three outings, including a 79-54 victory at home on Saturday against the University of Illinois Springfield. Brent Bach leads the offensive attack for Bellarmine at 15.5 PPG. Bach is shooting nearly 58 percent from the field, which ranks in the top 10 in the GLVC. Adam Eberhard is second on the team in scoring at 14.4 PPG while connecting on just over 60 percent of his field goal tries, which is seventh in the league. Eberhard leads the Knights in rebounding at 6.3 RPG and has a team-best 94 assists.
Bellarmine swept a two-game season series with McKendree in 2017-18. The Knights registered a 95-66 win in Lebanon on Dec. 3, 2016 before posting a 96-72 triumph on Feb. 16, 2017 in Louisville, Ky.
ABOUT ROCKHURST
The Hawks sit at 11-11 on the season and 4-8 in GLVC play prior to its Thursday home game against Drury University. Rockhurst was defeated at Truman State University back on Saturday, 82-71. The Knights have four players scoring in double figures this season, led by freshman Curtis Lewis at 16 PPG. Lewis has also dished out a GLVC-high 113 assists entering play on Thursday, and his 5.1 APG average is second in the conference. Quinton Curry is next in the scoring column at 13.9 PPG for the Hawks. Alex Hagan, who is fourth in the team in scoring at 10.3 PPG, is the team's leading rebounding at 7.6 RPG.
Last season, Rockhurst notched an 81-65 win over McKendree on Jan. 12, 2017 in Kansas City, Mo. Four Bearcats scored in double figures in the contest, led by Michael Jackson with 18 points. Nate Michael added 15 points in the effort.
