LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball will conclude its stretch of three games in six days here Saturday afternoon as the Bearcats host Lewis University for a 3 p.m. Great Lakes Valley Conference match-up at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center on the McKendree campus.

Saturday's game will be the first home game in GLVC play this season for the Bearcats and its third game this week to open league play as the Bearcats began the week with a 51-47 win on Monday at Illinois-Springfield and then suffered a hard-fought 60-55 loss on Thursday at Maryville in its second game of the week.

McKendree enters Saturday's second home contest of the 2021-22 season sporting a 4-1 overall record and 1-1 mark in the GLVC following its win at UIS and loss at Maryville to begin its 20 game league slate. The loss to Maryville was the first of season for the Bearcats and the 4-1 start to the season is the best since the 2015-16 team also opened the season with four straight wins before losing its fifth game of the year.

In Thursday's setback against the Saints (7-1, 2-0 GLVC), the Bearcats shot a season low 32 percent from the field and were just 7-for-28 (25 percent) from the 3-point line. The Bearcats led 26-21 at the half, but were outscored 39-29 in the second half by Maryville.

Junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) led the way for the Bearcats as he recorded a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. In addition to Bultman, redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./SWIC) and junior guard Aleksandar Davitkov (Belgrade, Serbia/Partizan) each had eight points against Maryville.

The Bearcats held a 45-32 edge on the glass against the Saints as along with Bultman's 10 rebounds, sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) pulled down a career and McKendree season high 12 rebounds. Parker, though, was held scoreless in the game as he entered the game averaging 11.5 points per game.

On the season, McKendree is averaging 66.0 points per game and has scored over 74 points in three of its first five games, but has been held to 55 or fewer points in its last two games. Along with averaging 66 points per game, the Bearcats are allowing 56.2 points per game and have held four of their first five opponents to 60 or fewer points, including allowing 47 points to UIS in Monday's league opener. The Bearcats are shooting 46 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 72 percent from the free throw line and is outrebounding its foes by 10.4 boards per game and are averaging 12.4 assists and 12.6 turnovers per game. Defensively, the Bearcats are allowing their foes to shoot 38 percent from the field and 27 percent from the 3-point line.

Bultman is the lone Bearcat averaging double figures on the season as he is averaging 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field and has an assist/turnover ratio of 1.8 on the year. Bultman has tallied double figures in scoring in four of five games, including three consecutive games of scoring in double digits.

Three other Bearcats are averaging between 8.4 and 9.2 points per game on the year as Parker is averaged 9.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 83 percent at the free throw line, while Davitkov is averaging 9.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and Stephen is averaging 8.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line.

Meanwhile, Lewis comes into Saturday's game with McKendree sporting a 1-5 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the GLVC after opening league play with an impressive 85-71 home victory on Thursday over the University of Indianapolis.
The win over UIndy snapped a six-game losing skid for the Flyers that had dated to last season.

Lewis comes into play on Saturday averaging 63.8 points per game and allowing nearly 71 points per game on defense. The Flyers have scored over 70 points in just one game this season and that one game was its last outing against UIndy when they scored 85 points. The previous season high in points was 67 in a loss to Lake Superior State.

On the season, Lewis is shooting 42 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 67 percent from the free throw line and are getting outrebounded by 3.0 boards per game and are averaging just under 12 turnovers per game and have a +0.5 turnover margin. Defensively, Lewis' foes are shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line.

The Flyers have two players averaging in double figures on the year with fifth-year senior forward Connor Niego leading the way as he averages 14.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and75 percent from the free throw line. Niego has scored in double figures in five games and has recorded three double-doubles.

Lewis' other double digit scorer is senior guard/forward Bruno Williams, who is averaging 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field and 33 percent from long distance.

Scott Trost is in his 16th season at the helm of the Flyers and his 26th season overall as a college head coach. Trost has compiled a 428-256 career record, including a 275-171 mark at Lewis. He has led the Flyers to five 20+ win seasons, six NCAA Tournament appearances and have won two GLVC Tournament titles (2016 and 2021) and is averaging nearly 18 years per year with the Flyers.

Saturday's game will mark the 17th all-time meeting in the series with Lewis holding a 13-3 lead in the series, including picking up a 62-59 win on McKendree's home court in the first round of the 2021 GLVC Tournament.

Following Saturday's game, the Bearcats will take 10 days off to complete first semester final exams before returning to action on Tuesday, Dec. 14 with a 3 p.m. home game against Union (Tenn.) University.