LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University men's basketball will play its fifth and sixth conference games of the season in a 7:30 p.m. game at Drury on Thursday and a 3:00 p.m. game on Saturday at Missouri S&T.
 
McKendree sports a 6-5 overall record upon concluding their pre-Christmas schedule with a setback to Grand Valley State and a win at Davenport, then following the holiday break with a 77-54 win over Baptist Bible College on Monday evening. Thursday's game will be the Bearcats' first conference game since Dec. 3.
 
Drury has an overall record of 4-8 after snapping a two-game losing streak with non-conference win over Saint Mary (Kan.) on Dec. 31st and sits at 0-4 in GLVC play following two close battles against Maryville (67-66) and Quincy (67-64) in early December.
 
Missouri S&T is currently 8-4 overall upon halting their two-game losing streak with a win against Baptist Bible College on Dec. 30. The Miners are 2-2 in the GLVC, defeating Drury in late November and Illinois-Springfield in early December.
 
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
As a team, McKendree averages 75.9 points per game while holding opponents to 72.8 points per game across the first 11 games of the season. The Bearcats have shot 48 percent from the field (fifth in GLVC), 37 percent from the three-point line (sixth in GLVC), and 73 percent from the free throw line (fifth in GLVC).
 
Senior guard Eric Powell II heads the Bearcats' scoring at 15.1 points per game (fourth in GLVC) and ranks ninth in Division II in three pointers per game with 3.36 per game (first in GLVC). At 48 percent from beyond the arc, Powell sits at 18th in Division II for three-point field goal percentage.
 
Just behind Powell at 14.9 points per game is junior forward Miloš Vicentic, shooting a team-high 56 percent from the field. The final Bearcat in double digits is senior guard Bryson Bultman, averaging 13.5 points per game as well as leading the GLVC and ranking 18th in Division II with 5.8 assists per game.
 
Defensively, the Bearcats top the GLVC standings with 4.0 blocked shots per game. Sophomore forward Caleb Zurliene accounts for a league-high average of 2.1 blocks and is tied for 15th in Division II.
 
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Drury concluded the 2021-22 season with a 10-16 overall record and a 7-10 conference record, falling in the first round of the GLVC tournament to University of Missouri-St. Louis, who would go on to win the conference championship.
 
Drury holds a three-game win streak and an 8-2 all-time advantage over McKendree as the last meeting between Drury and McKendree was on Feb. 12 last season. The Panthers came away with an 83-76 win over the Bearcats.
 
As a team, the Panthers average 71.6 points while allowing 72.9 points per game to their opponents. Drury has shot 58 percent from the field, 39 percent from beyond the arc (third in GLVC), and 68 percent from the free throw line.
 
Two players have double-digit averages as senior guard Adam Moore nets 11.6 points while shooting 51 percent from the field and junior guard Quenton Shelton records 11.2 points per game. Moore also snags a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game while Shelton has dished out a team-high 33 assists on the season.
 
At just under 10 points per game, graduate student guard Preston Cook sits at sixth in the GLVC for three-point percentage at 49 percent.
 
Defensively, the Panthers have collected 6.9 steals per game, led in the league by sophomore guard Brock Wakefield with 2.18 per game.
 
ABOUT THE MINERS
Missouri S&T finished the 2021-22 season posting an 11-17 overall record and a 7-13 record in the GLVC, concluding their season with an 87-60 loss to University of Indianapolis in the first round of the conference tournament.
 
The Miners snagged a 75-70 overtime win over the Bearcats last season on Feb. 10, pushing their all-time series advantage to 6-4 against McKendree.
 
As a team, the Miners lead the GLVC in points per game at 86.0 as well as rebounds per game with an average of 38.2. Additionally, Missouri S&T has the second-highest field goal percentage in the GLVC at 50.1 percent. The Miners have recorded 33 percent from the three-point line and 68 percent from the free throw line.
 
The Miners are paced offensively by four players in double digits. Sophomore guard Julien Smith, a 2021-22 Second Team All-GLVC selection, posts the second-highest scoring average in the conference at 17.0 points per game. Smith has recorded 11 double-digit performances including five games with 20 or more points.
 
Also in the GLVC top five for scoring average is junior forward Ikenna Okeke with 15.1 points while sophomore guard Lovell Williams trails just behind Okeke at 14.9 points per game. Okeke also heads the Miners on the boards with an average 6.8 rebounds per game.
 
Rounding out the double-digit scorers for S&T is sophomore guard Kaden Froebe at 11.8 points per game. Froebe is third in the GLVC at 63 percent shooting from the field.
 
Defensively, the Miners trail just behind the Bearcats with 3.92 blocks per game while also holding the second-place spot in the GLVC in steals per game at 8.75. Froebe sits at second in the league in steals, accounting for 2.09 per game.
 
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will resume GLVC action next week as they host University of Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.