LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University first-year men's basketball coach George Suggs has announced his team's schedule for the upcoming 2021-22 season on Tuesday afternoon.

Suggs' first Bearcat team is scheduled to play 26 regular season games, including two in-season tournaments hosted by Lewis University and Quincy University. Among the 26 regular season contests, McKendree is scheduled to play 12 home games at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center and the Bearcats will play six games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament a season ago.

"We are very excited for the schedule we have assembled for this season. Not only have we put together a challenging non-conference slate, but we host some tough GLVC opponents here at the Straham Center," Suggs said. "We look forward to once again having Bearcat fans' support as we embark on another season of McKendree Basketball."

The Bearcats' 26-game slate officially tips off on Friday, Nov. 12 as McKendree faces Michigan Tech at the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge hosted by Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. The season opener is slated to tip off at 6 p.m. and the Bearcats will conclude the two-day event with a 1 p.m. game on Nov. 13 against Northern Michigan (8-8 in 2020-21). Michigan Tech went 15-8 and advanced to the finals of the NCAA Midwest Regional where they fell 65-62 to Truman State.

This season, the Bearcats will once again play a 20 games schedule in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with the league opener scheduled for Monday, Nov. 29 at the University of Illinois-Springfield. Tip-off for the UIS game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Following the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge event hosted by Lewis, McKendree will open the home portion of its 2021-22 schedule by hosting NAIA member school Harris Stowe State University at 7:30 p.m. in the Stratham Sports Center, before closing the season's first month with the GLVC opener at UIS.

The Bearcats will open the month of December with a road GLVC contest on Thursday, Dec. 2 at Maryville University, before hosting Lewis for its first home conference tilt of the season on Saturday, Dec. 4 and then facing Union University for a non-conference game on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. Lewis, who went 14-10 a season ago, also advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regionals in 2020-21.

Following the Union game, the Bearcats will out the 2021 calendar year by competing at the Quincy University Holiday Shootout on Dec. 18-19. At the event, McKendree will face Davenport and then meet Ohio Valley University the following day.

The remainder of the 17 game schedule will be against GLVC foes beginning with a Jan. 2 match-up at home at 3 p.m. against the University of Southern Indiana, who hosted the NCAA Midwest Regional and finished with a 12-5 overall record and an 11-4 mark in league play last season. Following the USI game, the Bearcats will hit the road for a 6:30 p.m. CT game on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at the University of Indianapolis.

After the Indianapolis game, McKendree will return home for two consecutive games as they host defending GLVC champion Truman State in a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 8 and then concludes the homestand on Thursday, Jan. 13 with a 7:30 p.m. contest with the University of Indianapolis. Truman State went 20-3 overall and 18-1 in the league a season ago and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight where they fell to third-seeded Flagler College in the national quarterfinals.

McKendree will then play four of their next six games on the road to close out the first month of the New Year. The Bearcats begin that stretch of games on Saturday, Jan. 15 at Lewis University, before traveling to Evansville, Ind., for a game on Monday, Jan. 17 at the University of Southern Indiana and then returning home for back-to-back games on Jan. 20 and Jan. 22 against Quincy and Illinois-Springfield. The Bearcats will then close out the month with road games on Thursday, Jan. 27 at William Jewell College and Saturday, Jan. 29 at Truman State.

The Bearcats will begin the final month of regular season on Thursday, Feb. 3 at home with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Southwest Baptist, who went 15-7 overall and 15-6 in league play a season ago and then host Rockhurst University for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 5, before traveling to Rolla, Mo., for a 7:30 p.m. game on Feb. 10 against Missouri S&T.

Following the Missouri S&T game, the Bearcats will remain on the road and travel to Springfield, Mo., for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 12 against Drury University, who is coached by former McKendree head coach Chris Foster. Suggs served as an assistant on Foster's staff the past two seasons before being promoted as the program's 26th head coach on March 23, 2021.

McKendree will play two of its final three games of the regular season at home as they host Lindenwood University for a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Feb. 17 and then concludes its home schedule with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 19 against Maryville University. The Bearcats wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 26 with a 3 p.m., game at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The GLVC Tournament, which will feature the top eight teams in the final regular season standings, is scheduled for March 3-6 at the First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center on the campus of the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, with the NCAA Regional Tournament scheduled for March 12-15.