(KIRKSVILLE, Mo., Jan. 26)—The McKendree University men's basketball team was defeated Saturday afternoon in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at Truman State University, 79-56.
After building a 37-20 lead at the half, Truman State held the Bearcats at bay by shooting 56.5 percent over the final 20 minutes to earn the win on its home turf. McKendree slips to 8-10 overall and 4-5 in GLVC action with Saturday's result. The Bearcats will kick off a brief two-game home stand Thursday evening with a visit from the University of Indianapolis. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.
Junior guard
Alijah Thomas (Des Moines, IA/Hoover) and junior center
Nolan Gerling (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) each turned in solid performances on Saturday at Truman State. Thomas matched a season-high as he led all scorers with 22 points. His effort included an 11-for-12 showing from the free throw line against the Bulldogs. Gerling posted his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior guard
Logan Kohrmann (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central) chipped in with seven points, six rebounds and three assists for the Bearcats.
McKendree held a slight 6-5 lead in the opening moments before Truman State put together a 13-2 run to take the lead for good at 19-8 with 12:05 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs added to their advantage over the balance of the half, leading by as many as 21 points before taking its 37-20 lead into the intermission.
Over the first 10 minutes of the second half, McKendree chipped away at the deficit. The Bearcats used an 11-2 run to trim the margin to 49-39 with 11:24 remaining. Thomas had eight of the Bearcats' 11 points during the burst, sandwiched around a three-pointer from Kohrmann.
The teams traded three-pointers before Truman State took control. The Bulldogs outscored the Bearcats 19-6 over a five-minute stretch to build a 71-48 cushion with just under five minutes on the clock.
Taurin Hughes led Truman State (10-10, 5-5 GLVC) with 20 points, while Brodric Thomas and Nathan Messer each contributed 15 points to the Bulldogs' cause. Thomas also added a game-high seven assists to go along with five rebounds and a pair of steals.
