Men's Basketball Opens Home GLVC Slate With Games Against Rockhurst and No. 17 Southwest Baptist
McKendree University men's basketball will conclude its stretch of four games in seven days this weekend by hosting Rockhurst University and Southwest Baptist University for Great Lakes Valley Conference contests at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center on the McKendree campus.
The Bearcats open the weekend with a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Dec. 1 against Rockhurst and then faces 17th-ranked Southwest Baptist for a 3 p.m. contest on Saturday, Dec. 3. Both of those games will mark the first two home games in GLVC play this season for the Bearcats and just the second and third home games overall on the 2022-23 season.
Along with marking their first home games this season in GLVC play, this weekend's games will mark McKendree's third and fourth games in a week as the Bearcats began the stretch with a 73-68 win this past Saturday in its GLVC opener at Truman State, before suffering a 77-55 loss on Monday at William Jewell College.
McKendree enters this weekend's action sporting a 3-3 overall record and a 1-1 record in the GLVC following its win at Truman State and loss at William Jewell to begin its 20-game league slate of games. The William Jewell loss snapped a three game winning streak for the Bearcats that began with its 94-65 win over Culver-Stockton in its 2022-23 home opener on Nov. 18 and was followed by a 69-58 win at Union (Tenn.) University last Tuesday and then its 73-68 win at Truman State to begin GLVC play.
In Monday's setback at William Jewell, the Bearcats were outscored, 42-20 in the second half against the Cardinals. After shooting 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from the 3-point line and scoring 35 points in the first half, McKendree scored a season-low 20 points in the second half as they shot just 25 percent (7-for-28) from the field and 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) from the 3-point line after halftime. The game was tied at 35-all at the half.
Senior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) led the way for the Bearcats against Jewell as he scored a game-high 20 points, including tallying 15 of those points in the first half. In addition to Bultman, senior guard Aleksandar Davitkov (Belgrade, Serbia/Partizan) added 12 points in the contest.
Jewell held McKendree's top two scorers entering the game – senior guard Eric Powell II (Lexington, Ky./Asbury University) and junior forward Milos Vicentic (Belgrade, Serbia/OKK Belgrade) – to a combined seven points as those two players came into the game averaging a combined 31.6 points per game on the season.
On the season, McKendree is sixth in the league in scoring as they are averaging 75.2 points per game and have tallied 70 or more points in three of its six games, but has been held under 70 in two of its last three contests. Along with averaging 75.2 points per game, the Bearcats are allowing 74.2 points per game, but is allowing 72.5 points in GLVC play, while scoring 64 points per game. The Bearcats are shooting 47 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 72 percent from the free throw line. Additionally, the Bearcats are getting outrebounded by 3.0 boards per game, but are third in the league in assists as they average 15.0 per game, fifth in the league in blocked shots at 3.2 per game and lead the GLVC in made 3-pointers per game (11.0 per game).
Defensively, McKendree is allowing their foes to shoot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line and are forcing just 10.7 turnovers per game.
Bultman is one of three Bearcats averaging in double figures on the season as he is averaging 15.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and a GLVC-leading 6.3 assists per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line and 76 percent from the free throw line. Bultman has scored in double figures in three consecutive games and five times overall on the season and has one of the team's two double-doubles on the season as he had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Union.
The other two double-digit scorers this season for the Bearcats are Powell II and Vicentic. Powell II is averaging 14.5 points per game, is shooting 42 percent from the field, 39 percent from the 3-point line, has made a team-best 17 treys, and is tied for second in the GLVC in made treys per game at 2.8, while Vicentic is averaging 13.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, Rockhurst comes into Thursday's game with McKendree sporting a 3-3 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the GLVC following its 93-69 home win on Monday over Maryville (Mo.) in its league opener. The Hawks have won two of their last three games overall with the lone loss being an 82-46 setback on Nov. 22 at Missouri Western. Rockhurst's other two wins this season came against Davenport (83-72) and Washburn (79-70).
The Hawks, who were tabbed to finish 13th in the Preseason GLVC Coaches' Poll, comes into play averaging 73.5 points per game and allowing 74.0 points per game. The Hawks have scored 75 or more points in four of its six games, including tallying at least 79 points in all three of its victories. The 93 points in Monday's league opener against Maryville are a season high for Rockhurst.
On the season, Rockhurst, who shot 50 percent (13-for-26) from the 3-point line in the game against Maryville, is shooting 44 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line, are fourth in the league in free throw shooting at 76.5 percent, are rebounding their foes by 2.7 boards per game, and are sixth in the league in rebound margin at 2.7. Defensively, Rockhurst is third in the league in 3-point field goal defense as they are allowing teams to shoot just 31 percent from the 3-point line. RU's foes are also shooting 46 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free throw line.
Rockhurst has two players averaging in double figures on the season as redshirt junior guard/forward Rich Byhre leads the league in both scoring and rebounding as he is averaging 18.3 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game. He has recorded four double-doubles on the season, including a 22 point, 15-rebound effort last time out against Maryville. Byhre is shooting 66 percent from the field, 46 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent from the free throw line.
In addition to Byhre, junior guard Jake Auer is the other Hawk averaging in double-digits on the year as he is averaging 11.2 points per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field and 39 percent from the 3-point line.
Drew Diener is in his eighth season as Rockhurst's coach and his 14th season overall as a collegiate coach. Diener has compiled a 96-103 record with the Hawks and is 264-146 in his career.
Thursday's game marks the 11th all-time meeting in the series with Rockhurst holding a 6-4 edge all-time in the series. The Bearcats, though, have won three straight games in the series, including earning a 72-63 win in Lebanon in the team's lone meeting during the 2021-22 season.
McKendree's opponent on Saturday, Southwest Baptist comes into the weekend sporting a 5-1 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the GLVC after suffering a 70-65 home loss on Monday to UMSL. That loss to the Tritons snapped a five-game winning streak for SBU to open the season, including opening GLVC play with a 78-75 home win last Saturday over Missouri S&T. SBU, who is ranked 17th in this week's latest NABC Division II Coaches' Poll, plays at Maryville on Thursday before traveling to Lebanon for Saturday's contest.
SBU, who was tabbed to finish second in the Preseason GLVC Coaches' Poll as the Bearcats earned 131 points and five first place votes, is one of the top offensive teams in the league as they are fourth in the GLVC in scoring at 77.3 points per game and have scored 70 or more points in all but one game. Along with being fourth in the league in scoring, SBU is one of the defensive teams in the league as they fifth in scoring defense (66.2 points per game), third in field goal percentage defense (39.1 percent) and second in 3-point field goal defense (29.2 percent) and is second in the league in free throw shooting at 77.5 percent. The Bearcats have been to the line a league-leading 142 times and are averaging 23.7 trips to the line on the season. SBU has also made a league-best 110 free throws and average 18.3 made free throws per game.
Junior guard RJ Crawford is one of four SBU players averaging in double figures as he is averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field, 50 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in all three of the game's he has played in, including tallying 21 points against Missouri S&T and scoring 19 points in the loss to UMSL.
In addition to Crawford, graduate student guard Quinn Nelson is next in scoring as he is averaging 15.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and the reigning GLVC Player of the Year is shooting 51 percent from the floor, 46 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double digits in five games, including a high game of 27 in the season opener against Grand Valley State.
The other two double-figure scorers on the season are redshirt freshman forward Noah Franklin and freshman guard Drenin Dinkins. Franklin is averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line, while Dinkins is averaging 10.2 points per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 97 percent from the free throw line.
Southwest Baptist is coached by Clark Sheehy, who has posted a 123-106 record in his ninth season at SBU and is 306-212 in his 17th season as a collegiate coach. Sheehy shared GLVC Coach of the Year honors in 2021-22 with Lewis' Scott Trost.
Saturday's game will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between the two school as SBU holds a 2-1 leads all-time in the series thanks to its 88-83 double overtime win last season in Lebanon.
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