LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University will begin the final month of the 2021-22 men's basketball regular season here this weekend by hosting Great Lakes Valley Conference games at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center against Rockhurst College and Southwest Baptist University.
 
The Bearcats, who have won five of its last six games and three straight home games, will get the weekend started by facing Rockhurst in a 7:30 p.m. contest on Saturday, Feb. 5, before hosting Southwest Baptist on Monday, Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. The Southwest Baptist game was originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 3, but was forced to be rescheduled due to a winter storm that hit the St. Louis Metro area on Wednesday.
 
This weekend's games with Rockhurst and Southwest Baptist will mark the only meetings this season for McKendree against those two opponents. In addition, the games will mark a stretch of five games in nine days for the Bearcats.
 
McKendree comes into its first two games in the month of February sporting a 10-5 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the GLVC after having its season high five game win streak snapped last Saturday with a 78-63 setback at Truman State. With its 10 wins this season, the Bearcats have now won at least 10 games in three consecutive seasons.
 
Over its last six games, the Bearcats are averaging 75.7 points per game and are shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point line and 78 percent from the free throw line. In addition, they are averaging 9.3 made 3-pointers per game and have scored over 70 points in five of those six games, including a season high 91 points in a home win over Quincy on Jan. 20. On defense, they are allowing 72.7 points per game and their opponents are shooting 27 percent from the 3-point line and 67 percent at the free throw line.
 
Through 15 games this season, junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) continues to have the hot hand offensively for the Bearcats as he is third in the league in the league in scoring with a 19.5 scoring average and has tallied double figures in 14 of 15 games, including 13 straight double-digit scoring games. Along with his scoring, Bultman is averaging 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and leads the league in minutes played at he is averaging 36.3 minutes per game and has an assist/turnover ratio of 1.35. Over the last six games, Bultman is averaging 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and has 20 or more points in three of the last four games, including a McKendree season high 32 points against Quincy.
 
Along with Bultman, redshirt senior guard Brendon Gooch (Belleville, Ill./SIU-Carbondale) is second on the team in scoring as he is averaging 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 83 percent at the free throw line and has tallied double figures in scoring in six of his last seven games and has recorded two double-doubles on the year.
 
Three other Bearcats are averaging over 8.0 points per game on the season as redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./SWIC), sophomore guard Carson Parker (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) and senior forward Luke Hensler (Okawville, Ill./SWIC) are averaging 9.0, 8.9 and 8.3 points per game respectively. Along with his 9.0 points per game average, Stephen is shooting 46 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and is 16-for-16 from the free throw line and is sixth in the GLVC in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), while Parker is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and has had six or more rebounds in nine games on the year and Hensler is averaging 4.4 rebounds per game and has blocked 12 shots and has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.
 
As a team, McKendree is averaging 69.1 points per game has scored 74 or more points in eight of 15 games and is averaging 66.6 points per game in GLVC play. Additionally, the Bearcats are outrebounding its foes by a +1.3 margin and are shooting 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent from the free throw line.
 
Perhaps the biggest strength this season for the Bearcats has been its defense as McKendree enters this week's action sitting fourth in the league in scoring defense as they are allowing 66.2 points per game and have held six opponents under 70 points. In addition, McKendree is second in the league and 15th nationally in Division II in 3-point field goal defense (29.5 percent) and is eighth in the league in field goal percentage defense (42.8 percent).
 
Meanwhile, Saturday's opponent, Rockhurst, comes into this weekend's action sporting a 10-11 overall record and a 5-6 mark in the GLVC after picking up its third consecutive win on Monday at home against Illinois-Springfield as the Hawks defeated the Prairie Stars, 73-64. The Hawks, who play at Southern Indiana on Friday, before traveling to Lebanon for Saturday's game, began its win streak with a 68-67 win last Thursday at home against UMSL, before earning a 72-63 home win last Saturday over Lindenwood. The Hawks have struggled away from home this season as Rockhurst is 1-6 on the road and 1-4 on the road in league play and has dropped two straight on the road since a 61-60 win at Maryville on Jan. 20.
 
Rockhurst comes into play as on the top free throw shooting teams in the GLVC as the Hawks are tied for third in the league as they are shooting 76.1 percent from the field and are averaging 10.9 made free throws per game. In GLVC game, the Hawks have shot even better from the free throw line as they are shooting 78.3 percent from the free throw line. Additionally, another strength for Rockhurst is their ability to shoot the 3-point shot as they lead the league in 3-point field goal attempts (507) and is averaging 24.1 treys per game and making 8.3 treys per game, which is sixth-best in the GLVC.
 
As a team, Rockhurst is averaging 69.1 points per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line but has scored under 70 points in four of its last six games. Defensively, Rockhurst is allowing 71.4 points per game and are allowing their foes to shoot 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line and is blocking 2.6 shots per game and is being outrebounded by 1.1 boards per game.
 
Rockhurst has four players averaging over 10 points per game on the season with redshirt senior forward Nick Volz leading the way as he is averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and is shooting 57 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line. Volz has scored in double figures in 18 games and have recorded three double-doubles.
 
In addition to Volz, sophomore guard Jake Auer is averaging 14.1 points per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point line and 86 percent at the free throw line, while junior guard Maxim Romanov is averaging 11.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and redshirt sophomore forward Rich Byhre is averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent at the free throw line. He also leads the team in blocks with 15.
 
The Hawks are coached by former St. Louis University Billikin player Drake Diener, who is in his eighth season at Rockhurst and has compiled a 92-91 record with the Hawks and is 260-134 in his 13th season as a collegiate coach. As a player for the Billikins from 1999-03, Diener scored 537 points and ranks seventh on the school's career 3-point field goal percentage list at 40.4 percent and was a part of one NCAA Tournament team and two NIT teams while playing at SLU.
 
Saturday's game will mark the 10th all-time meeting in the series as Rockhurst holds a 6-3 edge in the series. The Bearcats have won two straight games in the series, including earning a 69-65 win last season in Kansas City, Mo., on Rockhurst's home court. The series is tied 2-2 in Lebanon, while Rockhurst leads 4-1 on its home court.
 
Meanwhile, Monday's opponent, Southwest Baptist, comes into this weekend's action sporting a 14-4 overall record and an 8-3 GLVC mark following its 70-61 win at home on Monday over Drury. That win over Drury was the Bearcats second consecutive and third win in its last four games with the lone loss being a 73-72 home loss last Thursday against Lindenwood. The Bearcats play at Saturday at UMSL, before facing McKendree on Monday afternoon. SBU is 5-3 away from home this season, including a 3-2 mark on the road in GLVC play.
 
SBU comes into the weekend as one of the top offensive teams in the league as Southwest Baptist leads the league in scoring as they are averaging 78.9 points per game and have scored over 80 points in seven games but is just averaging 71.7 points per game in GLVC play and have scored less than 75 points in its last three league games. Along with leading the league in scoring, SBU also leads the league in field goal percentage as they are shooting 49.3 percent from the field and are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.3 percent.
 
Defensively, SBU is third in the league in scoring defense as they are allowing 65.8 points per game and are third in the league in field goal percentage defense as their foes are shooting 40.3 percent from the field. In addition, they have a +10.1 rebound margin and are blocking 3.7 shots per game.
Senior guard Quinn Nelson is one of four SBU players averaging in double figures as he is averaging 14.2 points and 2.2 assists per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and 81 percent from the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in 13 games, including four games of scoring 20 or more points.
 
In addition to Quinn, junior guard Mitch Ganote is averaging 13.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and leads the league in assists at 4.8 per game and is third in steals at 2.1 per game and is also shooting 53 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line, while sophomore guard/forward RJ Campbell is averaging 12.7 points per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line and sophomore forward Jalil Beaubrun is averaging 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line and is averaging a GLVC-best 2.0 blocks per game.
 
Southwest Baptist is coached by Clark Sheehy, who has posted a 98-99 record in his eighth season at SBU and is 280-205 in his 16th season as a collegiate coach.
 
Monday's game will mark just the third all-time meeting between the two schools as the series is tied at 1-1. Each team has won on their respective home courts in the series as SBU won last season in Bolivar, Mo., 77-64, while McKendree won 76-68 in Lebanon on Jan. 2, 2020.
 
Following this weekend's action, McKendree will once again return to road next week as they begin a two-game road trip with a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Feb. 10 in Rolla, Mo., against Missouri S&T, before traveling to Springfield, Mo., for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 12 against Drury, which is coached by former McKendree head coach Chris Foster. The final game next week will be at home on Monday, Feb. 14 as the Bearcats host a make-up game with UIndy at 5:30 p.m.