LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball will return to the action for the first time in 10 days here Tuesday as they host Union University for a 3 p.m. matinee in non-conference action at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center on the McKendree campus.
 
Tuesday's game will be the first for the Bearcats since opening the home portion of its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule with a 78-62 setback on Dec. 4 against Lewis University.
 
McKendree enters Tuesday's second consecutive home game sporting a 4-2 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the GLVC, but the Bearcats have lost two straight games since opening the season with four straight wins. Along with its loss to Lewis, the Bearcats suffered its first loss of the season on Dec. 2 at Maryville, 60-55.
 
In the loss to Lewis, the Bearcats shot just 39 percent from the field and 29 percent from the 3-point line, while Lewis shot 44 percent from the field and made 10 of its 15 three-pointers to post the 16 point win. Against the Flyers, junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) led the way offensively with 24 points and added seven rebounds. Along with Bultman, junior guard Aleksandar Davitkov (Belgrade, Serbia/Partizan) added 11 points for the Bearcats.
 
On the season, McKendree is averaging 65.3 points per and has scored over 74 points in three of its first six games, but is averaging 58.5 points per game over its last two games. In addition, the Bearcats are outrebounding its foes by 8.5 boards per game and they have outrebounded five of its first six foes and are averaging 37.5 boards per game. McKendree is also shooting 45 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, the Bearcats opponents are shooting 39 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent from the free throw line.
 
Bultman is the lone Bearcat averaging double figures on the season as he is averaging 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field and 66 percent from the free throw line and has a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio on the year. Bultman has tallied double figures in scoring in five of six games, including four straight games of scoring in double digits and two consecutive games of scoring 20 or more points.
 
Three other Bearcats are averaging between 7.7 and 9.0 points per game on the year as Davitkov is averaging 9.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line, while redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./SWIC) is averaging 8.2 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and is 8-for-8 from the free throw line and sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) is averaging 7.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line.
 
Meanwhile, Union comes into Tuesday's action with McKendree sporting a 9-1 overall record and the Bulldogs are ranked 21st in the latest NABC/Division II Coaches Poll and 15th in the latest D2SIDA Media poll. Union had opened the season with eight straight wins before suffering its first loss of the season at home this past Thursday to Cumberland (72-66), before rebounding to post a 73-65 home win in GSC play on Saturday over Christian Brothers.
 
Union comes into play on Tuesday sporting an offense that is averaging 78.5 points per game and have scored over 70 points in seven of 10 games, including a season high 101 points against Williams Baptist. On defense, Union is allowing 63.1 points per game and has allowed just 70 or more points in two games. The Bulldogs are shooting 47 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 71 percent from the free throw line and are outrebounding its foes by 4.9 boards per game.
 
Defensively, Union's opponents are shooting 40 percent from the field, 32 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free throw line and are forcing 13.6 turnovers per game and are averaging 3.8 blocks per game with three players having eight or more blocks on the season.
 
Leading the way offensively for Union is senior guard Tyree Boykin, who is averaging 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line and 81 percent from the free throw line. Boykin has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games, including three straight games of scoring 20 or more points.
 
In addition to Boykin, two other Bulldogs are averaging in double figures as senior guard Hunter Vick is averaging 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point line and senior guard Tylandrius Parks is averaging 11.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 71 percent from the free throw line.
 
David Niven is in his 13th season at the helm of the Bulldogs as he has compiled a 215-148 record as a collegiate head coach and has led Union to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a spot in the South Region semifinals in 2016. He has averaged nearly 17 wins a season with the Bulldogs.
 
Tuesday's game will mark the 17th all-time meeting in the series with Union holding a 12-4 lead in the series, including picking up an 89-75 win in Jackson, Tenn., in the team's most recent meeting on Dec. 7, 2019. Union leads 5-3 in Lebanon and 7-1 on its home court against the Bearcats.
 
Following Tuesday's game, the Bearcats will close out the first semester of its 2021-22 schedule with two games on Dec. 18-19 against Davenport and East-West University at the Hanson-Spear Funeral Home Classic in Quincy, Ill. The Bearcats will face Davenport at 1 p.m. on Dec. 18 and then meet East-West University on Dec. 19 at 1 p.m.