Men's Basketball Opens Home Schedule Friday Against Culver-Stockton
The McKendree University men's basketball team will open the home portion of its 2022-23 schedule here Friday evening as the Bearcats play host to Culver-Stockton College in a 7:30 p.m. non-conference contest at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
McKendree comes into Friday's home opener sporting an 0-2 overall record after opening the 2022-23 season with back-to-back setbacks at last weekend's GLVC/GLIC Crossover hosted by Michigan Tech University as the Bearcats fell 100-93 to Northern Michigan and then fell 77-67 to Michigan Tech.
Against Northern Michigan, the Bearcats were paced offensively by 25 points from junior forward Milos Vicentic (Belgrade, Serbia/OKK Belgrade), while senior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) added 23 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists in the loss. Two other Bearcats scored in double figures in the opener as senior guard Eric Powell II (Lexington, Ky./Asbury University) tallied 12 points, including 10 of them coming in the second half in his McKendree debut, while sophomore forward Hayden Meakes (Adelaide, Australia/Adams State) had 12 points off the bench in his McKendree debut.
For the game, McKendree shot 53 percent from the field, but was just 10-for-29 (35 percent) from the 3-point line and the Bearcats were outrebounded, 36-27 and committed 14 turnvoers that led to 17 points by the Wildcats. McKendree was strong at the free throw as they were 25-for-28 (89 percent) from the line.
Meanwhile, against Michigan Tech, Powell II led the Bearcats offensively with a team-high 22 points, while Bultman added 16 points and had eight rebounds and four assists. With his 16 points, Bultman pushed over 1,100 career points as he has now scored 1,111 points as a Bearcat, which is 41st on the school's all-time list.
McKendree trailed by as much as 10 points a little over midway into the first half, before closing the half on a 17-11 run to pull within 38-34 at the half. In the second, McKendree struggled shooting the ball as they shot 34 percent from the field and 27 percent (4-for-15) from the 3-point line and Tech outscored the Bearcats, 39-33 after halftime to post the victory.
Through two games this season, the Bearcats are averaging 80 points per game and are allowing 88.5 points per game and are shooting 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line. In addition, they are getting outrebounded by 6.5 boards per game and have an 0.8 assist/turnover ratio.
Bultman is one of three Bearcats averaging in double figures on the season as he is averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 78 percent from the free throw line.
The other two double-digit scorers are Powell II and Vicentic, as they are both averaging 17.0 points per game. Powell II is shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent from the free throw line, while Vicentic is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 56 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, Culver-Stockton, who is a member of the NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference, comes into Friday's game sporting a 3-1 overall record. The Wildcats have won two straight games since suffering its lone loss of the season on Nov. 8 at Iowa Wesleyan. In that game, Iowa Wesleyan won 74-54. The current win streak began with an 86-75 home win last Friday over Columbia College, before earning a 93-75 win the next day over East-West University.
As a team, Culver-Stockton is averaging 78.3 points per game and are allowing 70.5 points per game. The Wildcats are shooting 45 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line and are getting outrebounded by four boards per game and are forcing 18.3 turnovers per game.
Leading the way for Culver-Stockton is redshirt junior guard/forward CaRondis Harris-Anderson, who is averaging 16.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 54 percent from the field, 57 percent from the 3-point line and 53 percent from the free throw line. Harris-Anderson played the last four seasons at McKendree and averaged 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 61 career games as a Bearcat.
In addition to Harris-Anderson, junior guard Robert Fry II is the second Wildcat averaging in double figures as he is averaging 16.0 points per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent at the free throw line, while redshirt senior guard Javon Modester is averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 86 percent at the free throw line and the fourth double-digit scorer is senior forward Jim King, who is averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
In addition to Harris-Anderson, the Wildcats also have another former Bearcat on their roster as redshirt freshman forward Cole Howard is averaging 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in one game this season.
Culver-Stockton is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Wildcats and has compiled a 43-68 record with the Wildcats. In his time, he has coached 10 All-Conference players and one All-American. As a collegiate player, Hill played at Rockhurst and in his time with the Hawks, he was a two-time All-American and Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year and was inducted into Rockhurst's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Friday's game will be the first-ever meeting the two schools on the hardwood.
Following Friday's game, the Bearcats will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 22 as they travel to Jackson, Tenn., for a 6 p.m. game against Union University. Last season, the Bearcats picked up an impressive 80-67 over the 21st-ranked Bulldogs.
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