HILLSDALE, Mich. – It was a career day for sophomore guard Rini Harris (O'Fallon, Ill.), who chipped in a career-high 31 points on 80.0% shooting for a fourth straight win for the men's basketball team, which handled Hillsdale College 79-66 on Sunday, December 21st at the Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Score: McKendree University 79, Hillsdale College 66
Record: Bearcats 9-2, 2-1 GLVC | Chargers 4-7, 1-2 G-MAC
HOW IT HAPPENED
McKendree began their final non-conference contest in a way that aligned with their national strengths as they held Hillsdale scoreless in the first four minutes of action while the Bearcats chipped in the game's first seven behind a three-pointer and a couple of made free throws from sophomore forward Wyatt Zellers (Scottsburg, Ind.). With an answer by the Chargers with five straight of their own, the other sophomore in Harris would continue his toughness to start the matchup as he earned a basket from inside the paint while stepping out to sink a three-point shot to give his team a 7-0 spurt.
The game of runs kept presenting itself as the Chargers would respond with a 12-0 momentum swing to capture their first lead of the game, and up by three midway through the first half. Leading scorer Cha'Vez Woods (Louisville, Ky.) came right in when needed most and knocked down his first shot from beyond the arc in the squad's Michigan trip to tie the game at 19 apiece, and moments later finished with an and-one layup opportunity to regain the two-point lead.
Both teams battled neck-and-neck down the final initial stretch, with the Bearcats utilizing the most from their starting five as freshman guard Andrew Moore (Montgomery County, Mo.) was able to get inside for a contested two and capitalized with a stepback three-pointer to give himself a quick five points. A lay-in by the fifth-year senior Noah Franklin (Cobden, Ill.) put his team up by three until a layup on Hillsdale end cut it back to one with McKendree heading into the locker room up narrowly, 35-34.
Coming into half number two, Head Coach George Suggs had his guys push the tempo rather than being pushed by the tempo, as Franklin opened up with his 11th long distance shot of the season, which had sparked a 12-3 run with Harris maintaining his driving force to earn a couple of and-one shots. The O'Fallon native would continue attacking the paint and give himself a couple more buckets on the interior and extend the Bearcat's lead to 14.
Over the next two-and-a-half minutes, the Chargers went on fire from the arc, nailing a trio of three-point shots and trimming the McKendree lead to 12. Yet, the Rini Harris show would still go on as the sophomore contributed 11 of the team's final 18 points in the last eight minutes of regulation and closed out the four-game road slate unblemished with a 79-66 victory over Hillsdale.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Harris finished the game with a career-high 31 points on an efficient 12-for-15 (80.0%) scoring from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 (100%) from deep. He also collected seven rebounds, three steals, and one assist.
• Franklin supplemented with his third double-double of the season and seventh of his career with 15 points and 10 rebounds, along with a team season-high and career-high five blocked shots.
• Woods reached his seventh consecutive double-figure scoring game and ninth total of the season with 11 points, plus a pair of boards, a trio of assists, and a takeaway.
• Freshman guard Moses Wilson (Aurora, Ill.) scored all nine of McKendree's points off the bench, as he rounded out with four rebounds.
• McKendree shot 52.0% from the field, a season-high 45.0% from deep, and 81.8% from the line.
• The Bearcats held the advantage in points off turnovers (14-6), points in the paint (34-22), and fast break points (10-2).
• Franklin's five blocks in the victory are the most by a McKendree player since Caleb Zurliene had six at Southwest Baptist University on February 15th, 2024.
• With a win in their next outing, the Bearcats would match their best start since the 2017-18 season, starting off with a 10-2 overall record.
UP NEXT
McKendree will get some time off to enjoy the holidays and the final days of 2025 and will return to action on Friday, January 2nd when they host Lewis University at 7:30 PM CT tip inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Illinois.
Fans can tune in live or on-demand on the Bearcats' GLVC Sports Network with a subscription/download purchase required, as live stats will also be provided. Tickets for the game can be found at mckbearcat.com.
Keep up with McKendree University Men's Basketball on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram. #GLVCmbb | #D2mbb
For more updates and information on Bearcat Athletics, please continue to visit McKBearcats.com and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
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