LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball will look to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak here on Valentine's Day as the Bearcats will host the University of Indianapolis for a 5:30 p.m. Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center on the McKendree campus.
 
Monday's game was originally scheduled to be played in Lebanon on Jan. 13, but the game was forced to be canceled initially due to COVID-19 issues in the UIndy program, but the league eventually decided that all postponed games due to COVID issues could be rescheduled this season.
 
The game on Monday will also start a three-game homestand for the Bearcats as following Monday's game with UIndy, the Bearcats will host Lindenwood on Thursday, Feb. 17 for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, before welcoming Maryville (Mo.) for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 19 for both Senior Day and Alumni Day.
 
McKendree comes into Monday's rescheduled game with UIndy having lost three straight games to drop its record to 11-8 overall and 7-8 in the GLVC with two weeks remaining in the regular season. The current losing streak began with an 88-83 double overtime loss last Monday at home against Southwest Baptist, before suffering a 75-70 overtime loss this past Thursday at Missouri S&T and then falling 83-76 on Saturday at Drury.
 
In Saturday's loss at Drury, the Bearcats trailed by as much as 15 points with about nine minutes left in the game, before they rallied with a 17-3 run over a span of nearly four-plus minutes to pull within 65-64 following a lay-up and free throw to complete a 3-point play from junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) with 4:31 left in the game.
Bultman's 3-point play capped a 12-0 run by the Bearcats. During the 17-3, Bultman scored 10 of his team-high 20 points to get the Bearcats back in game. Drury, though, would recover as they would close the game outscoring the Bearcats, 18-12, to seal its home victory.

On the season, the Bearcats are averaging 70.4 points per game and have scored 74 or more points in 11 of 19 games and are averaging 68.9 points per game in GLVC play. Additionally, the Bearcats are outrebounding its foes by a little less than a board per game and are shooting 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent from the free throw line. McKendree is fifth in the GLVC in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage and is fourth in the league in made 3-pointers per game (8.6).
 
Perhaps the biggest strength this season for the Bearcats has been its defense as McKendree enters Monday's action sitting eighth in the league in scoring defense as they are allowing 68.5 points per game and have held seven opponents under 70 points. In addition, McKendree is third in the league in 3-point field goal defense (31.9 percent) and seventh in field goal percentage defense (43.4 percent).
 
Leading the way offensively for the Bearcats through the first 19 games this season is Bultman as he is third in the league in scoring at 19.5 points per game and has tallied double figures in scoring in 18 of 19 games, including 17 straight games of reaching double figures. Along with his scoring, Bultman is pulling down 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game and leads the league in minutes played at a little over 37 minutes per game and is coming off a 20-point, seven rebound and six assist effort on Saturday at Drury. Along with scoring in double figures in 17 straight games, Bultman has scored 20 or more points in six of his last eight games, including two games with 30 or more points, which is tops among all league players.
 
Along with Bultman, redshirt senior guard Brendon Gooch (Belleville, Ill./SIU-Carbondale) is second on the team in scoring as he is averaging 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 41 percent from the floor, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 81 percent at the free throw line. Gooch has tallied double figures in scoring in nine of his last 11 games and has recorded two double-doubles on the year.
 
Meanwhile, UIndy comes into play on Monday fresh off a 70-63 road win on Saturday at Rockhurst and that win at Rockhurst, came two days after the Greyhounds fell 72-62 on Thursday at Southwest Baptist. Since its game at home with UMSL, UIndy has posted a 3-5 record and hasn't posted two wins in a row during that stretch. UIndy is 4-3 on the road this season and has won two its last three road games.
 
The Greyhounds, who are ranked sixth in the latest GLVC TicketSmarter Point Rating System with a PRS ranking of 3.38 and just ahead of McKendree, who is seventh with a PRS of 3.17, are sporting a 13-8 overall record and a 7-6 mark in the GLVC following its road win on Saturday at Rockhurst. Monday's game is the fifth for UIndy in the last nine days.
 
The Greyhounds are one of the top defensive teams in the league coming into play on Monday as UIndy leads the league in scoring defense as they are allowing 64.8 points per game and have held three of its last five foes to under 65 points, including limiting UIS to 50 points in a 62-50 win over the Prairie Stars on Jan. 29. In addition, UIndy is second in the GLVC in field goal percentage defense (41.1 percent) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (32.2 percent). Additionally, UIndy leads the league in blocked shots per game at 4.5 and has blocked 94 shots in 21 games and is third in the league in steals as they are averaging 7.3 steals per game.
 
UIndy has three players averaging in double figures this season as senior guard Cory Miller, Jr., is averaging 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field and 48 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games, including a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds at Quincy.
 
In addition to Miller, Jr., redshirt freshman guard Jesse Bingham is second in scoring as he averages 15.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and has blocked 26 shots and is shooting 47 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 81 percent from the free throw line, while sophomore forward Kendrick Tchoua is averaging 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 60 percent from the field and has had four double-doubles on the year.
 
UIndy is coached by Paul Corsaro, who is in his second season at his alma mater and has recorded a 24-20 overall record and a 17-17 mark in the GLVC.
 
Monday's game will mark the 17th all-time meeting in the series and the second meeting this season as UIndy holds a 14-2 edge in the series, including collecting a 63-56 win in Indianapolis on Jan. 4. The Bearcats are 0-8 against UIndy at home and trails 5-2 in Indianapolis.