LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball put the brakes on its season-high three-game losing streak here Monday evening as the Bearcats made eight straight free throws in the final 39 seconds to help seal its 78-71 victory over the University of Indianapolis in Great Lakes Valley Conference action at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
With the win, the Bearcats improved to 12-8 overall and 8-8 in the league, while UIndy fell to 13-9 overall and 7-7 in the league. Monday's win helped extract some revenge for the Bearcats as they suffered a 63-56 loss to the Greyhounds in Indianapolis on Jan. 4.
Monday's game started a streak of three consecutive home games this week for the Bearcats as along with hosting UIndy on Monday, they face Lindenwood on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and then face Maryville on Saturday at 3 p.m. for Senior Day.
The Bearcats needed each of those final eight throws in the final minute of the contest to hold off the Greyhounds as UIndy used a 14-2 run over a span of six minutes to turn a 62-51 deficit into a 65-64 lead following a lay-up by Julian Steinfeld. That would lead would be the first for UIndy holding a 4-3 lead just a little over three minutes into the game.
Following Steinfeld's lay-up, the Bearcats retook the lead at 67-65 following a trey from redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./SWIC) with 1:30 left in the game. About 37 seconds later, senior guard Brendon Gooch (Edwardsville, Ill./SIU-Carbondale) gave the Bearcats a 70-65 lead with 53 seconds remaining.
After Cory Miller, Jr., hit 1-of-2 free throws with 41 seconds left to cut McKendree's lead to 70-66. Following Miller's free throw, the Bearcats parade to the free throw line began as junior guard Aleksandar Davitkov (Belgrade, Serbia/Partizan) hit two free throws with 39 seconds left and then Stephen followed by connecting on two free throws with 32 seconds left to give the Bearcats 74-66 lead.
On UIndy's next trip downcourt, Kendrick Tchoua made a lay-up with 21 seconds left to pull UIndy within 74-68, but Stephen would make two more free throws with 14 seconds left to give McKendree a 76-68 lead. Dee Montgomery would bring UIndy within five at 76-71 following his trey with seven seconds left, but Gooch would seal the win by making two free throws with five seconds remaining.
Stephen and junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) each added 15 points, while Gooch chipped in with 13 points and sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) had 10 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win.
With his 15 points, Bultman extended his double-digit scoring streak to 18 consecutive games and has now tallied 952 career points and has scored in double figures in 19 of 20 games on the season. Bultman has had 45 career double-digit scoring games.
Tchoua and Miller, Jr., each scored 15 points for UIndy, while Jesse Bingham added 14 points and Steinfeld tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
McKendree's win was keyed by 12 made 3-pointers, including eight in the second half as the Bearcats shot 41 percent from the 3-point line in the game. McKendree has now made 10 or more treys in a game eight times, including five times in its six games. In addition, McKendree finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field.
The Bearcats were also 18-for-22 from the free throw line as Stephen went 6-for-6 and is now 26-for-26 from the line this season and has made 31 consecutive free throws dating to an 0-1 effort at line in a game at Maryville last season on Feb. 18, 2021.
McKendree finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field, while UIndy shot 45 percent from the floor and 43 percent from the 3-point line.
After UIndy took its early 4-3 lead, the Bearcats would respond with a 17-8 run to push out to a 20-12 lead. Bingham would stop the McKendree run with a trey with 14:51 left in the game, before using a 10-5 run to push its lead to 30-17 following two free throws from sophomore Milos Vicentic (Belgrade, Serbia/OKK Belgrade) with 6:03 left in the first half.
The 'Hounds would respond with a 13-4 run to drop McKendree's lead to 34-30 following a dunk by Miller, Jr., with 28 seconds left in the half. Gooch, though, would cap the first half scoring on a put-back right before the buzzer to give the Bearcats a 36-30 lead at the half.
UIndy opened the second half by scoring eight of the first 13 points to drop the Bearcats halftime lead to 41-38 with 16:36 left in the game. A trey from Gooch with 16:05 left in the game would ignite a 16-8 run to push its lead to 57-46 following a basket by Vicentic, who scored five points off the bench.
Following a trey from Josiah Tynes with 10:59 left in the game brought the 'Hounds within 57-49, the Bearcats would five of the next seven points to take an 11-point lead following a trey from Davitkov with 8:30 left in the contest. Davitkov's trey gave the Bearcats a 62-51 lead.
Both teams finished the night with 34 rebounds as Gooch picked up eight to lead the Bearcats, while Bultman and Parker each had five boards in the win.
The Bearcats had 14 assists and blocked five shots, including two from senior forward Aleksa Popovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Cleveland State). UIndy, who entered the game leading the GLVC in blocked shots with 94, recorded five blocks in the game, including three from Steinfeld.
While McKendree was strong at the free throw line, UIndy went 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) at the line.
The two teams also took care of the ball as they combined for a total of 16 turnovers as McKendree had nine turnovers and UIndy committed seven turnovers, but those seven turnovers led to 16 points for the Bearcats.
McKendree will return to action on Thursday, Feb. 17 as they welcome Lindenwood for a 7:30 p.m. game at the Statham Sports Center for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night. Lindenwood won its second straight game on Monday with a 101-66 home win over Missouri S&T.
