BOLIVAR, Mo. – The men's basketball team never trailed in Saturday's road win against Southwest Baptist University in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) action on Saturday, January 18th at the John Q. Hammons Court in Bolivar, Missouri. 

Score: McKendree University 63, Southwest Baptist University 46 

Record: McK Bearcats 8-8, 5-4 GLVC | SBU Bearcats 6-9, 3-6 GLVC 

HOW IT HAPPENED

McKendree would jump out to an early 6-2 lead after being able to set the tone by driving into the lane and making a couple of layups and free throws. The game's first made three-pointer of the evening by junior guard Cha'Vez Woods (Louisville, Ky.) gave the visiting Bearcats a new five-point advantage with a little over 13 minutes remaining in the first half. SBU would inch their way closer with a 7-4 run in the next few possessions to be down only 15-17. 

A driving layup by senior guard Kevin Stein (Chester, N.Y.) followed by three made free throws by sophomore guard Luka Mateski (Belgrade, Serbia) gave McKendree a 5-0 spurt to up their lead to seven as Mateski went on to score seven straight points for the Bearcats and 10 of their final 15 points of the half. SBU would not be too far behind, but the efficient scoring by McKendree gave the visitors a 34-29 lead heading into halftime. 

After a tight first half, McKendree Head Coach George Suggs rallied his troops as they busted out into half number two on a 15-4 run being a pair of shots from beyond the arc by Woods and a three-ball plus a couple of lay-ins from Stein to lead the charge. SBU's senior guard David Hector halted the scorching run by his opponents, where he was able to attack the rim for a pair of layups himself and be down 37-49.  

Exactly four minutes would eclipse until the next bucket was scored for either side as Woods ended the dry spell with a pull-up jumper and a three-pointer a few possessions afterward to put his squad up by a comfortable 15 points. Moments later, McKendree would put in the dagger after a three by Stein and a four-point play from senior guard Joey Niesman (Oswego, Ill.) in what would ultimately end up being a profound 63-46 road win for McKendree. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Stein led all scorers in McKendree's win with 18 points on 6-12 shooting as he went 2-3 from three and 4-4 from the line while getting five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. 

• Woods continues his highly-trending offensive impact with now scoring in double-figure in five straight games as he came away with 16 tonight while going 6-11 from the field and 4-6 from deep. 

• Mateski also continued his well-rounded weekend by capping off with a career-high 14 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor and grabbing a monstrous career-high 13 rebounds (seven offensive) along with an assist and a steal. 

• SBU's junior guard Drenin Dinkins was the leader for the Bearcats from Missouri, as he finished with 13 points with a 7-8 mark from the free throw line along with seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist. 

• McKendree shot 41.8% from the field, 30.8% from distance, and 64.3% from the stripe while the SBU Bearcats ended with 37.3%, 0.0%, and 57.1% respectively. 

• SBU was +6 in points off turnovers, +14 in points inside the paint, and +1 in fast break points despite their loss at home. 

• In the win, McKendree was +4 in bench points, and +8 in second-chance points. 

• The McKendree Bearcats never trailed in this matchup and had the lead for 39:06 of the 40 minutes played. 

• SBU's 0-11 from three-point range is the first time in the program's NCAA Division II history that McKendree has held their opposition scoreless from beyond the arc. 

UP NEXT

McKendree will be back on the court on Thursday, January 23rd when they head back to the friendly confines in Lebanon, Illinois, to take on Lincoln University (Mo.) at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center with tip-off set for 7:30 PM CT. 

For more updates and information on Bearcat Athletics, please continue to visit McKBearcats.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
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