LIBERTY, Mo. – McKendree University extended its win streak to a season best five consecutive games here Thursday evening as the Bearcats posted a hard-fought 72-59 victory over William Jewell College in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at the Mabee Center.
 
With its fifth straight win, the Bearcats improve their overall record to 10-4 on the season and move to 6-4 in GLVC play, while William Jewell falls to 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the league.
 
The five game winning streak is the longest active streak among GLVC teams and the longest for the Bearcats since also winning five consecutive games from Dec. 13-Dec. 29, 2017.
 
Thursday's win was keyed strong free throw shooting as the Bearcats were 14-for-15 (93.3 percent) from the free throw line and eight 3-pointers, including two big treys in the late in the second half by redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./SWIC) to keep the Cardinals at bay.
 
"It takes a lot to win on the road and it took a lot tonight. I thought we weren't as sharp as we could be on the offensive end, but that's a credit to William Jewell," said McKendree first-year head coach George Suggs after the game. "It got tough, but I thought our guys came together and did a great job executing down the stretch."
 
Junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) continued to have the hot hand offensively for the Bearcats as he scored a game-high 30 points to extend his double-digit scoring streak to 12 consecutive games. During the current five-game winning streak, Bultman is averaging 23.6 points per game and is shooting 58 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line. Bultman has scored 30 or more points in two of his last three games as he scored 32 points last Thursday at home against Quincy.
 
In addition to Bultman, redshirt senior guard Brendon Gooch (Belleville, Ill./SIU-Carbondale) added 13 points and seven rebounds, while senior forward Luke Hensler (Okawville, lll./SWIC) tallied 12 points and six rebounds.
 
The Bearcats jumped out to a 10-4 lead just seven minutes into the game and led 18-8 following a 3-pointer from junior guard Aleksandar Davitkov (Belgrade, Serbia/Partizan) with 7:31 left in the first half.
 
WJC, though, would respond with a 10-2 run capped by a turn-around jumper by Kobe McKinley with 4:11 left to drop McKendree's lead to 20-18. The Bearcats would answer back as they closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 29-20 lead at the half. Six of the nine points came from Bultman, who scored 14 of his 30 points in the first half.
 
The Bearcats would push its halftime lead to 34-22 following two free throws by Gooch just 67 seconds into the second half, but the Cardinals would mount a comeback as they would score 17 of the next 22 points to tie the game at 39 with 13:16 remaining. That would be the only tie of the game.
 
One the next trip down court, sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) made a lay-up with 12:52 left to give the Bearcats a 41-39 lead, but WJC would take the lead on its next trip down court as Jordan Jermain drilled a trey with 12:42 left to give the Cardinals a 42-41 lead.
 
That lead was shortlived, though, as the Bearcats used an 8-0 run keyed by six points from Bultman to take a 49-42 lead with 10:33 remaining in the game.
 
Once again, WJC responded with a 6-2 run to cut McKendree's lead to 51-48, but two free throws by Hensler, a lay-up by Bultman and a trey from Stephen with 6:32 remaining gave the Bearcats a 58-48 lead.
 
After the Cardinals pulled within 63-52 following a lay-up by Trey Shannon, Stephen would connect on another trey with 4:11 remaining to push the Bearcats in front 66-52.
 
Stephen's trey jump started a 9-1 run by the Bearcats that pushed its lead to 72-53 folllowing a basket by Stephen with 1:51 left.
 
WJC would score the final six points of the game to cut the final margin to 13 points.
 
Jermain paced the Cardinals with 20 points, while McKinley added 12 points and Shannon chipped in with 10 points. Heri Tshiyoyo scored six points, but pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the game.
 
For the game, McKendree shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line, including shooting 56 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line in the second half. Jewell finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line.
 
The two teams combined for 35 free throws as each team was whistled for 19 fouls in the contest.
 
While McKendree shot 93 percent from the line, WJC was just 11-for-20 (55 percent) at the line.
 
McKendree held a 31-29 edge on the boards with Parker leading the way with eight boards.
 
The Bearcats turned the ball over 12 times, while WJC had nine turnovers, but those nine turnovers led to 19 points for McKendree.
 
McKendree will look to make it six straight wins on Saturday, Jan. 29 as they travel to Kirksville, Mo., for a 3 p.m. game against Truman State. The Bearcats began their current win streak with a 74-73 win over the Bulldogs in Lebanon, Ill., on Jan. 8. Truman State (12-5 overall, 6-3 GLVC) suffered an 80-66 home loss on Thursday to Southern Indiana.