LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball opened the home portion of its 2022-23 schedule here Friday evening with an impressive 94-65 victory over Culver-Stockton in front of nearly 700 fans at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
"I thought the crowd was tremendous tonight as they really turned out for our first home game. It was a great atmosphere for our players and these guys deserve that kind of support," McKendree head coach George Suggs said about Friday night's crowd.
 
By scoring 94 points, the nearly 700 fans in attendance at the game earned a free coupon for a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich at the Fairview Heights Chick-fil-A location.
 
Once again, this season, the McKendree men's basketball program has partnered with the Fairview Heights Chick-fil-A to offer fans a coupon for a free chicken sandwich at the Fairview Heights Chick-fil-A when the Bearcats score 85 points and win a home game during the 2022-23 season.
 
In Friday's home opener, the Bearcats recorded season highs in points (94), first half points (50), rebounds (41), assists (25), field goals made (37), field goal percentage (55.2), three-pointers made (16), three-pointers attempted (38) and 3-point field goal percentage (42.1).
 
With the victory, McKendree improves to 1-2 on the season, while Culver-Stockton fell to 3-2 on the season.
 
"It was a great effort tonight to bounce back after a difficult weekend. These guys earned this one with their effort and practice and it really was a team effort," said Suggs following the game. "To see contributions from so many different guys was great to see, and I think this is a great game to build off of moving forward."
 
Perhaps one of the most impressive stats from Friday's game was the Bearcats opening the game making 12 of its first 14 shots, including going 7-for-8 from the 3-point line in sprinting out to a 31-14 lead just eight-plus minutes into the contest. McKendree bettered its previous season high 44 first half points in the season opener against Northern Michigan on lay-up from junior guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) with 4:47 left in the opening half.
 
While scoring a season high 94 points, which are the most points scored by the Bearcats in a home opener since tallying 97 points in a 97-57 win over Robert Morris-Springfield to open its 2016-17 home schedule.
 
Four Bearcats scored in double figures in the win led by a career-high tying 18 points from sophomore forward Caleb Zurliene (Aviston, Ill./Purdue Northwest). In addition to Zurliene's 18 points, junior forward Milos Vicentic (Belgrade, Serbia/OKK Belgrade), senior guard Eric Powell II (Lexington, Ill./Asbury University) and senior guard Aleksandar Davitkov (Belgrade, Serbia/Partizan) each scored 14 points.  Two others fell just two points shy of double digits as senior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) and sophomore forward Hayden Meakes (Adelaide, Australia/Adams State) both tallied eight points.
 
After opening the game by making 12 of its 14 shots and shooting 56 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line in the first half, the Bearcats concluded the game shooting 55 percent from the field as they were 37-for-67 from the floor in the game. Additionally, the shot 42 percent (16-for-38) from the 3-point line for the contest. Overall, on the night, the Bearcats missed a total of 32 shots in the game as they missed 30 field goals, with 22 of those 30 missed field goals coming from the 3-point line and two free throws as they shot 67 percent (4-for-6) from the free throw line.
 
During its 31-14 run to open the game, Vicentic, Powell II and Davitkov combined for 21 of those 31 points as Vicentic scored nine, while Powell II and Davitkov each had six points.
 
CSC used 16-13 run over the next six minutes to pull within 44-30 following a trey from Jalen Blaize, but the Bearcats responded with a 6-0 run capped by a turnaround jumper by Meakes to push out to a 50-30 lead with 1:36 left in the opening half.
 
The Wildcats would end the half by scoring the final five points to cut McKendree's halftime lead to 50-35.
 
McKendree would open the second half much the same way they did in the first half as they opened the half on a 22-5 lead to push out to a 72-40 advantage with 12:39 left in the game. During the run, McKendree shot 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from the 3-point line. The 32 point lead was the largest of the game for the Bearcats.
 
From that point, the only thing that mattered to the fans in attendance is if the Bearcats would score 85 points and send home everyone that attended the game with a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich.
 
The Bearcats would hit the 85-point mark on a basket by Parker with 6:49 left in the game. Parker's basket gave the Bearcats an 86-55 lead.
 
After reaching 85 points with a little over six minutes left in the game, the Bearcats appeared headed toward the century mark, but CSC would keep the Bearcats under 100 points as they closed the game by outscoring the Bearcats, 11-8, to cap the scoring.
 
Blaize led CSC with 13 points, while Ryan Moore added 10 points and a team-high six rebounds and Jim King finished with nine points. Former Bearcat CaRondis Harris-Anderson, who entered the game as CSC's leading scorer on the season at 16.5 points per game, was held scoreless in the game against his former team.
 
Zurliene led the Bearcats in rebounding with eight rebounds, while Parker and Davitkov each had six boards as McKendree held a 41-29 edge on the boards.
 
Bultman tied a career high with 10 assists as six Bearcats recorded assists in the game. Along with Bultman's 10 assists, Powell II had four, while Zurliene, Davitkov and Parker each had three in the victory. CSC had just six assists in 24 made field goals.
 
McKendree committed a season-low 10 turnovers and blocked four shots, while CSC committed 15 turnovers that led to 21 points for the Bearcats.
 
CSC finished the game shooting 40 percent from the field and 42 percent (8-for-19) from the 3-point line.
 
Neither team was strong at the free throw line as the Bearcats were 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) from the line, while the Wildcats were 9-for-15 (60 percent) at the line.
 
McKendree will look to even its record on the season as they return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 22 for a 6 p.m. game in Jackson, Tenn., against Union University. The Bearcats picked up an 80-67 win in Lebanon last season against the Bulldogs, when they were ranked 21st in Division II.