LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball junior Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) made history here Wednesday evening as the 6-foot-5 guard became the 52nd member of the school's 1,000-Point Club, but poor free throw shooting and 13 turnovers helped aid a 78-74 loss to Lindenwood in Great Lakes Valley Conference action at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
The loss was the second straight for the Bearcats and it dropped its record to 13-10 overall and 9-10 in the GLVC, while Lindenwood improved to 12-14 overall and 8-10 in the GLVC. Wednesday's game was originally scheduled for last Thursday, Feb. 17, but the game was postponed due to a winter storm that hit the Metro East area.
 
Bultman's 1,000th career point came on his first basket of the game at 18:39 as he entered Wednesday's game needing to score just one point to record 1,000 career points. Bultman finished the game with 21 points to extend his double figure scoring streak to 21 consecutive games and recorded his 13th game of scoring 20 or more points this season. Bultman has now scored 1,020 points in his McKendree career.
 
Along with Bultman's 21 points, sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) added 12 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Milos Vicentic (Belgrade, Serbia/OKK Belgrade) tied his career high of nine points and senior guard CaRondis Harris-Anderson (Waterloo, Iowa/Waterloo West) added eight points to help McKendree's bench outscore the Lions, 29-4. Vicentic has now scored 18 points over his last two games as also tallied nine points in Monday's setback at Lewis. 
 
Lindenwood, who led 37-36 at the half, opened the second half by scoring eight of the first 12 points to push its lead to 45-40 with 17:56 left in the game. The Bearcats, though, would respond with a lay-up by Bultman and a 3-pointer from senior forward Luke Hensler (Okawville, Ill./SWIC) to tie the game at 40.
 
The game would also be tied at 51 after a basket by Harris-Anderson with 13:45 left in the game. Once again, though, LU would score nine of the next nine points to retake the lead at with 11:51 left in the game.
 
Lindenwood would extend its lead to as much as 72-64 following a 3-pointer from Kevin Caldwell, Jr. with 3:19 remaining in the contest. The Bearcats would mount another rally as they scored five straight points to pull the Bearcats within three points at 72-69 with 1:27 remaining. Bultman would score four of McKendree's five points during the run.
 
After a free throw by Brandon Suggs gave LU a 73-69 lead, redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./SWIC) would hit two free throws with 45 seconds left to bring the Bearcats within two at 73-71. That would be as close as the Bearcats could get the score as LU closed the game on a 5-3 run to cap the scoring.
 
Jacoby Ross led the offensively for Lindenwood with a game-high 24 points, while Caldwell, Jr., added 18 points and Romelo Burrell added 15 points and eight boards. Suggs would finish with nine points and nine rebounds in the win.
 
In the first half, both teams shot over 46 percent from the field, but the Lions would close the half by scoring four of the final seven points to hold a 37-36 lead at the half.
 
After Bultman's record setting basket, the Lions would score 21 of the next 30 points to push out to a 21-11 lead just a little under 10 minutes into the game, before the Bearcats used a 9-4 run to cut LU's lead to 25-20 with 6:41 left in the opening half.
 
After a lay-up by Burrell gave LU a 27-20 lead, the Bearcats would use a 13-6 run to tie the game 33. The run began with a lay-up by Parker and was capped by a lay-up from Stephen.
 
McKendree would struggle at the line in Wednesday's game as they finished the night 10-for-17 (58.8 percent) from the line, including a 6-for-12 effort at the line in the second half. Meanwhile, LU was 15-for-19 (78.9 percent) from the line.
 
McKendree would outshoot Lindenwood in the game as the Bearcats shot 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line and Lindenwood shot 44 percent from the field and 33 percent from long distance.
 
The Bearcats also won the rebound battle (39-36) as redshirt senior guard Brendon Gooch (Belleville, Ill./SIU-Carbondale) led the way with eight boards and had eight points.
 
Lindenwood would record six blocks and committed just six turnovers, while the Bearcats would commit 12 turnovers that led to 12 points for LU. McKendree also had 13 assists to eight for Lindenwood.
 
The Bearcats will look to close the regular season with a win as they travel to St. Louis, Mo., for a 3 p.m. game at UMSL. The Tritons, who host Southern Indiana on Thursday, are sporting an 18-6 overall record and a 12-5 mark in the GLVC.