GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. MICHIGAN TECH -- Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Harry M. Statham Sports Center -- Lebanon, Ill.
McKENDREE vs. NORTHERN MICHIGAN -- Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, 3 p.m.
Harry M. Statham Sports Center -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
2018-19 McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
2018-19 MICHIGAN TECH SEASON STATISTICS
2018-19 NORTHERN MICHIGAN SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 8)—The McKendree University men's basketball team is set to begin its 2019-20 regular season by hosting three other regional institutions in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge at McKendree. The Bearcats will start their season Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Michigan Tech before taking on Northern Michigan University Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
McKendree saw its first game action of the year last Friday when the Bearcats were in Omaha, Neb., for an exhibition game against NCAA Division I Creighton University. Sophomore forwards
Luke Hensler (Okawville, IL/Okawville) and
Aleksa Popovic (Belgrade, Serbia/BC Partizan Belgrade) each scored in double figures for the Bearcats in a 95-63 loss. Hensler, Popovic and junior guard
Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) were the three newcomers in the starting lineup for McKendree at Creighton, joining senior guards
Nate Bethel (Nassau, Bahamas/St. Louis Christian Academy) and
Logan Kohrmann (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central).
At 12.6 points per game in 2018-19, Kohrmann in the Bearcats' leading returning scorer. Junior forward
Jacob Donaldson (Effingham, IL/Effingham) (6.4 PPG) and junior guard
Carrington Bass (Floosmoor, IL/Crete-Monee) (5.7 PPG) were also key contributors a year ago. Bethel returns after missing the 2018-19 season due to injury. Bethel averaged 9.2 points in 16 games as a junior in 2017-18.
Hensler, Popovic and Stephen highlight a list of seven newcomers who join the Bearcat program this season. The other four first-year players for McKendree are all freshmen – guards
Bryson Bultman (Nashville, IL/Nashville),
Wendell DeMyers (Indianapolis, IN/Avon) and
Aleksandar Davitkov (/Partizan) along with forward
Jakobie Robinson (Indianapolis, IN/Warren Central).
The GLVC/GLIAC Challenge is the start of a season-opening six-game home stand for McKendree. The Bearcats will have non-conference games Nov. 16 against East Central University, Nov. 19 versus Westminster College (Mo.) and Nov. 23 with Principia College before meeting the University of Southern Indiana in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener on Dec. 3.
ABOUT MICHIGAN TECH
The Huskies were 11-16 overall and 6-14 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last season. Michigan Tech will have a key player who missed the 2018-19 season that are returning to the lineup. Kyle Monroe led the Huskies in scoring in 2017-18 at 27.7 points per game, a mark that ranked second in NCAA Division II. Dawson Bilski paced Michigan Tech in scoring a year ago at 12.8 PPG. Isaac Appleby dished out a team-best 95 assists for the Huskies as well.
ABOUT NORTHERN MICHIGAN
The Wildcats closed the 2018-19 season with a record of 17-12 while going 11-9 against GLIAC competition. Sam Taylor is the top returning scorer for Northern Michigan at 8.7 PPG. Myles Howard paced the Wildcats on the boards by averaging seven rebounds per outing. As a team, Northern Michigan was solid at the free throw line, shooting 77.9 percent from the stripe.
