LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball will look to continue its hot play this week as the Bearcats embark on a two-game trip to Missouri for Great Lakes Valley Conference games against William Jewell College and Truman State University.

The Bearcats, who have won four consecutive games, begin its trip in the Show Me State on Thursday, Jan. 27 as they travel to Liberty, Mo., for a 7:30 p.m. contest at the Mabee Center with William Jewell, before concluding the road trip with a 3 p.m. match-up on Saturday, Jan. 29 in Kirksville, Mo., at Pershing Arena against Truman State University.

Thursday's game will William Jewell will mark the only meeting this season between the two schools, while Saturday's game with Truman State will be the second meeting this year as the Bearcats collected a 74-73 upset over the then 16th-ranked Bulldogs in Lebanon, Ill., on Jan. 8.

McKendree comes into its final two games of January sporting a 9-4 overall record and a 5-4 mark in the GLVC following its home wins last week over Quincy (91-86) and Illinois-Springfield (77-69). Those two victories extended the Bearcats win streak to four consecutive games that began with its upset win over Truman State. The Bearcats currently have the longest active win streak among all schools in the GLVC.

The four game win streak is tied for the Bearcats' longest streak of the 2021-22 season as they opened the season by winning its first four games before suffering its first loss of the season on Dec. 2 at Maryville (60-55).

During its current four game win streak, the Bearcats are averaging 79.8 points per game and are shooting 52 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent from the free throw line. In addition, they are averaging 9.5 made treys per game and have scored over 75 points in all four games, including a season high 91 points in the win over Quincy.

Through 13 games this season, junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) leads the Bearcats and is fourth in the league in scoring as he is averaging 18.7 points per game and has tallied double figures in 12 of 13 games, including 11 straight double-digit scoring games. In addition to his scoring, he is averaging 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and leads the league in minutes played as he is averaging 36.8 minutes per game and has an assist/turnover ratio of 1.40. He is averaging 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game during the current four-game win streak and scored a team season high 32 points last Thursday against Quincy.

Along with Bultman, redshirt senior guard Brendon Gooch (Belleville, Ill./Althoff Catholic) is second on the team in scoring as he is averaging 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 44 percent from the floor, 41 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent at the free throw line and has tallied double figures in five straight games, including back-to-back double-doubles against UIndy and Truman State earlier this season. Gooch is averaging 15.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during the current four-game win streak.

Two other Bearcats are averaging over 9.0 points per game on the year as sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) and redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) are averaging 9.6 and 9.2 points per game respectively. Along with his 9.6 points per game average, Parker is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field, while Stephen is shooting 45 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and is a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line.

As a team, McKendree is averaging 69.4 points per game and has scored 74 or more points in eight of its 13 games and is averaging 66.4 points per game in GLVC play. Additionally, the Bearcats are outrebounding its foes by 1.8 boards per game and are shooting 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 71 percent from the free throw line.

Perhaps the biggest strength this season for the Bearcats this season has been its defense as McKendree enters this week's action fourth in the league in scoring defense as they are allowing 65.8 points per game and have held all but five opponents under 70 points. In addition, McKendree is second in the GLVC and 27th nationally in 3-point field goal defense (30.1 percent) and is seventh in the league in field goal percentage defense (42.2 percent).

Meanwhile, Thursday's opponent, William Jewell comes into play sporting a 10-8 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the GLVC. The Cardinals have won four of its last six games, including picking up a 62-60 win last Saturday at Maryville to snap a two-game losing streak. WJC's two losses have come at home to Southwest Baptist (61-49) and at Lindenwood (72-60). The Cardinals have been strong at home this season as they are 7-2 on its home court, including a 4-2 mark at home in GLVC play.

William Jewell comes into play as one of the top free throwing shooting teams in the league as they are currently third in the league in free throw shooting at 75.3 percent and are averaging 11.2 made free throws per game. In addition, the Cardinals are sixth in the league in three-point shooting as they are shooting 36.8 percent from long distance on the year and are averaging 8.7 made treys per game. WJC is 8-0 on the season when they make 10 or more 3-pointers.

As a team, William Jewell is averaging 69.4 points per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field and is outrebounding its foes by nearly a board per game and has scored 75 or more points in seven games, but has been held under 65 points in its last three games, including scoring a season low 49 points against Southwest Baptist. Defensively, WJC is allowing 67.3 points per game and their foes are shooting 45 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent from the free throw line and they are forcing 13.9 turnovers per game and are blocking 3.2 shots per game.

Sophomore guard Jordan Jermain is one of three Cardinals averaging in double figures this season as he is averaging 13.1 points per game and has tallied double figures in 11 games, including a 30 point effort at Missouri S&T.

In addition to Jermain, junior guard Kobe McKinley is averaging 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line, while senior guard Mason Alexander is averaging 11.9 points per game and is second on the team with 37 made treys and is shooting 86 percent from the free throw and is averaging 2.3 made treys per game on the year.

The Cardinals are coached by Chris McCabe, who is in his third season at William Jewell and has compiled a 25-42 overall record and a 16-35 mark in the GLVC.

Thursday's game will mark just the eighth game all-time in the series and first game since the 2019-20 season as last year's game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WJC holds 4-3 all-time lead in the series, but the Bearcats have won two straight games in the series, including a 73-70 win in the most recent meeting on Jan. 16, 2020 in Liberty, Mo.

McKendree's opponent on Saturday, Truman State, comes into this week's action sporting a 12-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the GLVC, but the Bulldogs are just 2-4 in its last six games with the losses coming at McKendree on Jan. 8 and last Saturday at Lindenwood, 78-68. Prior to this week, Truman was ranked 21st in the NABC Division II Coaches poll, but fell out of the poll this week, but is second among teams earning votes (28) in this week's poll. The Bulldogs, though are a perfect 5-0 at home this season and have gone 14-1 at home since the beginning of the 2020-21 season.

Truman, who hosts Southern Indiana on Thursday, comes into play this week as one of the top scoring and shooting teams in the GLVC. The Bulldogs are averaging a league-best 80.4 points per game and have scored 80 or more points in a game six times, but have been held under 80 points in five of their last six games, including scoring a season low 68 points last time out at Lindenwood. Along with leading the league in scoring, Truman State also leads the league 3-point field goal percentage (36.3 percent), made 3-pointers per game (10.8) and is second in field goal percentage (49.2 percent).

Defensively, Truman State, who posted a 20-3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season, is allowing 71.9 points per game and have allowed 80 or more points in four games. The Bulldogs' opponents are shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from the 3-point line and 75.3 percent from the free throw line and have a +4.1 rebound margin and are averaging a league-best 17.7 assists per game.

Three Bulldogs are averaging in double figures on the season with redshirt junior forward Cade McKnight is second in the league in scoring as he is averaging 19.3 points per game and is also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 60 percent from the field and 51 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in 12 games, including four games of 20 or more points.

In addition to McKnight, freshman guard Masen Miller is second in scoring at 14.5 points per game and is shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line and is averaging a GLVC-best 3.6 treys per game, while the third double-digit scorer for the Bearcats is redshirt sophomore guard/forward Elijah Hazekamp, who is averaging 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line.

Truman State is coached by former Iowa Hawkeye guard Jeff Horner, who has posted a 69-30 record in his fourth season as the Bulldogs head coach. Along with being 69-30 overall, Horner has posted a 47-16 record in GLVC play.

Saturday's game will mark the ninth all-time meeting in the series as Truman State holds a 7-1 edge in the series, but the Bearcats picked up its first-ever win in the series earlier this month in Lebanon as they posted a 74-73 win over the Bulldogs. Truman is 4-1 in Lebanon and 3-0 in the series on its home court.

In the first meeting this season between the two schools, the Bearcats defense held the Bulldogs to nine points under its season scoring average and limited them to 29 percent shooting from the 3-point line. Bultman led the way offensively for the Bearcats as he scored 18 points, while Gooch had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Truman State was paced by 15 points from Miller, while Dylan Peeters added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Following this weekend's action, McKendree will return home for two games at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center next week as they host Southwest Baptist for a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Feb. 3, before hosting Rockhurst for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 5.