LEBANON, Ill. - The men's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Harry M. Statham Sports Center in Lebanon, Illinois to round out their regular season slate against Rockhurst University on Thursday, February 27th, and Southwest Baptist University on Saturday, March 1st.
HISTORY SHOWCASE
Against Rockhurst, it will be the 15th all-time meeting between the two programs, as McKendree came away victorious in each of the last seven outings, including earlier this season in Kansas City, where they won 91-86 in an overtime thriller. The Bearcats also hold a 8-6 edge in the overall series history.
In a couple of days after facing the Hawks, the Bearcats will take on Southwest Baptist in their ninth matchup. The Bearcats won the past three in the series, even the contest held in Bolivar, Missouri earlier this season, 63-46. Both teams are tied in the series at four wins apiece as McKendree has never won against SBU on their home floor.
BEARCATS CURRENTLY
McKendree split 1-1 in last week's matchups as they are in tight contention for the upcoming GLVC Tournament on March 6th. They now sit at 12-13 overall and 9-9 in conference play.
At Quincy University on Thursday, the team kicked things off with a 17-4 run as junior forward Noah Franklin (Cobden, Ill.) contributed on 11 of them as senior guard Destin Whitaker dropped a pair of three-pointers to compliment. A 13-7 run in the late moments of the first half put the Bearcats up 48-31 heading into the extended break. The Hawks flipped the script to begin half number two on a 13-5 run to pull within six. Yet, McKendree was right there to respond themselves with a 15-4 run in a six-minute span to pull away comfortably 76-62. Franklin's 28 points in the win is a career-high for the redshirt junior, as he shot an efficient 11-13 from the field including a perfect 3-3 from three and 3-4 from the charity stripe along with nine rebounds and an assist. Whitaker continues to shoot with stride, going 3-7 from deep to obtain a dozen points with an assist, a block, and an assist. Freshman forward Rini Harris (O'Fallon, Ill.) had a quiet 10 points for McKendree while going 5-6 from the line as he corralled four rebounds.
On Saturday at Upper Iowa University, the Bearcats again started the game off on the right foot as they led in the early goings 7-0. Both teams would keep it close against each other as Whitaker and senior forward Hayden Meakes (Adelaide, Australia) each tabbed five points in a small spurt midway through the first half while the Peacocks reeled off eight straight points to be down slightly at 40-41 heading into halftime. The two teams would go at it in the second half with none allowing the other to go far ahead. With seconds remaining and down by just one, McKendree senior guard Joey Niesman (Oswego, Ill.) drove it inside for a layup but got fouled. He split his free throws to go into overtime, where Upper Iowa began on a 7-2 run and fended off the Bearcats' comeback efforts as they won 84-82. Senior guard Kevin Stein (Chester, N.Y.) put up a team-high 21 points on 9-13 shooting, including 1-2 from three and 2-3 from the line as he tallied three assists and rebounds. Whitaker followed with 16 points on 5-7 shooting with a 3-4 mark from deep and a perfect 3-3 from the line. Sophomore guard Luka Mateski (Belgrade, Serbia) finished with 13 points on 4-8 shooting along with a team-high eight rebounds. Meakes and Niesman tabbed 12 and 11 respectively as the former had a trio of rebounds plus an assist while the latter put up two rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Stein and Niesman lead the team in scoring with 15.3 and 12.3 points per game respectively. The former's points per contest ranks 15th in the entire GLVC to go along with a 12th-best 46.3 field goal percentage. Stein also holds steady in the top six in his facilitating abilities with his assists per game (6th – 4.0), total assists (6th – 99), and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th – 1.98). Niesman still remains one of the better on-ball defenders in the conference, where he picks away 1.6 steals a game (6th in the GLVC) and totaling him at 40 (6th). Niesman's 4.7 rebounds a contest also comes in at 11th in the GLVC.
Staying on Stein, he is one of three Bearcats to play in all 25 contests thus far into the season. Within those 25 matchups, he has scored in double figures in 19, grabbed 3+ rebounds in 18, 3+ assists in 20, and shot 40% or better from the field in 19.
The team overall is ranked in the top-five within the conference in several statistical categories, including three-point makes per game (2nd – 9.6), three-point percentage (2nd – 38.2%), three-point percentage defense (4th – 33.3%), bench points per game (5th – 20.8), free throw percentage (5th – 74.1%), and free throws made per game (5th – 13.5).
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Rockhurst University | Thursday, February 27th, 3:00 PM CT
Last Matchup: W, 91-86 (OT) on 12/2/2024 | RECAP | BOX SCORE
Rockhurst has lost two straight and four of their last five games including a buzzer-beating defeat on their home floor against then-No.11 Missouri S&T. Their record stands at 16-10 overall and 10-8 in conference action.
The Hawks have three of their players averaging north of 15 points a game, which include graduate guard Jesse White (15.4), sophomore guard Brian Hawthorne (15.3), and junior guard Jaylen Wesley (15.3). All of whom are in the top-11 of the GLVC in scoring as Hawthorne and Wesley are in the top-five in stealing the ball (1.7 and 1.6 respectively).
Hawthorne also is third in the conference in assists per game at 4.5 a night. White on the other hand is a lethal shooter from deep, making 2.9 threes a game on a 35.8% clip.
The team is top-three in the GLVC in free throw attempts per game (1st – 22.7), free throws made per game (1st – 17.0), scoring offense (3rd – 78.9 ppg), and three-point percentage defense (3rd – 32.6%).
Southwest Baptist University | Saturday, March 1st, 3:00 PM CT
Last Matchup: W, 63-46 on 1/18/2024 | RECAP | BOX SCORE
SBU has had it rough since mid-December, as they lost six straight and 14 of their last 15. They sit now at 7-17 overall with a 4-14 mark in conference action. The Bearcats will take on Maryville University this coming Thursday before hosting McKendree.
The Bearcats leading scorer is junior guard Drenin Dinkins at 18.5 points an outing. His scoring ranks third in the entire conference and 67th in the nation while his free throw percentage of 90.6% is first in the GLVC and 10th in the nation.
SBU does not jump out in many statistical categories, but they are fourth in the GLVC in fast break points (11.4) and fifth in steals per game (7.0).
TUNE IN-FO
vs Rockhurst University
WATCH: Click HERE ($ – GLVC Sports Network)
LIVE STATS: Click HERE
HISTORY: Click HERE
TEAM ROSTERS: [McKendree] [Rockhurst]
TEAM SCHEDULES: [McKendree] [Rockhurst]
TEAM STATISTICS: [McKendree] [Rockhurst]
vs Southwest Baptist University
WATCH: Click HERE ($ – GLVC Sports Network)
LIVE STATS: Click HERE
HISTORY: Click HERE
TEAM ROSTERS: [McKendree] [Southwest Baptist]
TEAM SCHEDULES: [McKendree] [Southwest Baptist]
TEAM STATISTICS: [McKendree] [Southwest Baptist]
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