ALLENDALE, Mich. – McKendree University men's basketball held a 66-60 lead with five-plus minutes remaining in the game here Sunday afternoon, but Grand Valley State would close the game on a 12-3 run to post a 72-66 come-from-behind victory over the Bearcats in non-conference action at the GVSU Fieldhouse.
 
With the setback, McKendree drops its second straight game and falls to 4-5 overall on the season, while GVSU improves to 6-6 overall. Sunday's game was the first for the Bearcats in 15 days to complete first semester classes and final exams.
 
Junior forward Milos Vicentic (Belgrade, Serbia/OKK Belgrade) led the Bearcats with a game-high 18 points, while senior guard Eric Powell II (Lexington, Ky./Asbury University) added 13 points and sophomore forward Hayden Meakes (Adelaide, Australia/Adams State) had 10 points off the bench.
 
The Lakers defense held Bearcats senior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) to a season low four points as he was 1-for-7 from the field, including an 0-for-4 effort from the 3-point line and was 2-for-4 at the free throw line. Bultman entered the game averaging 15.5 points per game and had tallied double figures in five consecutive games and seven times on the season.
 
Despite not playing for 15 days, McKendree showed little rust in the first half as they jumped out to a 12-8 lead just seven-plus minutes into the contest. The Lakers, though, would score five straight points to take a 13-12 lead with 10:45 left in the first half.
 
Following Grand Valley's run, the Bearcats responded with a 10-2 run capped by two free throws from Vicentic to push out to a 22-15 lead. Vicentic scored six of those points during the run. That seven-point lead would be the largest of the game for the Bearcats.
 
Grand Valley would answer back with a 9-3 run to drop McKendree's lead to 25-24 with. 4:32 left in the half. Back-to-back treys from freshman guard Malcolm Davis (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias Catholic) and fifth-year senior forward Luke Hensler (Okawville, Ill./SWIC) pushed the Bearcats lead to 31-26.
 
After GVSU retook the lead by scoring seven straight points, before the Bearcats used a trey from Meakes with 19 seconds left in the half to give McKendree a 34-33 halftime lead. It marked the first time this season that McKendree lost a game when leading at the half as they were 3-0 on season when holding a halftime advantage.
 
Grand Valley, who is now 2-0 all-time against McKendree, opened the second half on a 22-15 run to push out to a 55-49 lead just a little over 10 minutes into the half. That six-point lead was the largest for GVSU.
 
McKendree, though, would mount a rally as they used a 17-5 run over the next four-plus minutes to push out to a 66-60 lead with 5:19 left in the game. The run began with a trey from Powell II and was capped by two Powell II free throws. Powell scored eight of McKendree's 17 points during the run.

The Lakers would respond by scoring 10 of the next 11 points to retake the lead at 70-67. Eight of the 10 points by the Lakers came from the free throw during that run as they shot 24 free throws in the second half and finished the game with 30 free throws. McKendree shot just 17 free throws in the game, including 14 in the second half.
 
Following GVSU's run, junior guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville), who started Sunday's game and finsihed with six points, eight rebounds and four assists, brought the Bearcats within a point after hitting two free throws with 1:17 left in the game, but GVSU's Britain Harris capped the scoring with two free throws with three seconds left.
 
On the ensuing possession, the Bearcats didn't get a shot off as Bultman committed a turnover on a bad pass right before the buzzer to end the game.
 
Marius Grazulis, who was 11-for-12 from the free throw line, led the way for Grand Valley with 15 points off the bench, while Luke Tolliver added 12 points and Trevon Gunter had 10 points in the win.
 
McKendree outshot the Lakers, 47 percent to 36 percent from the field and made three more treys (8-5) in the game than Grand Valley State. McKendree shot 33 percent from the 3-point line and GVSU shot 26 percent from the 3-point line.
 
The free throw line proved to be the biggest difference in the game as Grand Valley was 25-for-30 (83.3 percent) at the line, while McKendree was 11-for-17 (64.7 percent).
 
Grand Valley held a 38-34 edge on the boards, including 16 offensive rebounds. Parker and sophomore forward Caleb Zurliene (Aviston, Ill./Purdue Northwest) each had eight rebounds for the Bearcats.
 
McKendree committed 13 turnovers, while GVSU had just 11 turnovers in the game, while McKendree blocked five shots, including four from Zurliene and GVSU blocked three shots.
 
The Bearcats will look to get back on track as they close their pre-Christmas schedule with a 6 p.m. ET game on Monday, Dec. 19 at Davenport University, who is 3-7 on the season following its 64-56 win on Friday at home against Aquinas (Mich.).