(EVANSVILLE, Ind., Jan 20) – The McKendree University men's basketball team dropped its final road contest of a three game road stretch to Southern Indiana 72-69 in Evansville, Ind., on Monday night. The Bearcats are now 9-7 overall on the season and 4-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
The Bearcats got on the board first with a sophomore forward
Aleksa Popovic (Belgrade, Serbia/BC Partizan Belgrade) layup within the first 15 seconds of play. Southern Indiana sprang to an early lead after that, going up 15-7 over McKendree with 14:17 left to go in the first half. The Bearcats chipped away at the deficit, pulling within two of the Screaming Eagles. USI answered back once again with a large point run to take a ten point lead into halftime 37-27 over McKendree.
Southern Indiana put up three quick points to start the second half and then the Bearcats went on an eight-point run to get within five. This pattern held true throughout the remainder of the half, McKendree even got within one point of the Screaming Eagles on three separate occasions during its longer point runs. The comeback was cut just short as the last second three point shot put up by senior forward
Nate Bethel (Nassau, Bahamas/St. Louis Christian Academy) didn't fall pushing USI to a 72-69 win.
McKendree's shooting improved immensely from the first half to the second to help support the comeback efforts. As a team, the Bearcats shot just 34.38 percent from the field goal range and 22.22 percent from the three point line in the first half. In the second half, McKendree improved to shoot 52 percent from the field goal range and 55.56 percent from the three point line.
Three Bearcats registered double-digit points in the game; senior guard
Logan Kohrmann (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central), Bethel, and freshman forward
Jakobie Robinson (Indianapolis, IN/Warren Central). Kohrmann led the team with 18 points, Bethel was next with 15, and Robinson rounded out the efforts with ten points on the night. Kohrmann, alongside freshman forward
Bryson Bultman (Nashville, IL/Nashville), also lead the team in rebounds with six each. Robinson paced the team in total assists with seven.
McKendree will be back in action at home on Thursday, Jan. 23 for a game against Quincy University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
