Southern Illinois News

Men's Basketball Falls to No.11 UMSL; Bultman Collects Fourth Double-Double

McKendree University men's basketball (6-8, 2-5 GLVC) dropped a third-straight contest on Thursday evening, falling to the No.11 UMSL Tritons at home, 83-73. The Bearcats have rattled-off over 70 points per game since the new year but own just one win during the stretch. McKendree will look to rebound at home and regain traction in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with another home game on Saturday, January 14, against Maryville.

Three Bearcats totaled double-figures in the scoring column with junior forward Milos Vicentic collecting 24 points on 9-16 from the field while grabbing five boards. Narrowly behind Vicentic was senior guard Bryson Bultman who dropped 23 points and tallied 10 rebounds. The outing marked Bultman's fourth double-double and 11th double-figure scoring game of the campaign. Junior guard Carson Parker was the third Bearcat in double-figures with 11 points on the day.

The Bearcats and Tritons battled from start to finish with the first 20 minutes of play ending with UMSL leading 34-33 over the Bearcats. Neither squad managed more than a five-point lead in the first half while the Bearcats managed to out-shoot the visiting Tritons from the field overall and beyond the arc. McKendree fired 44 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes of play while UMSL shot 42.9 percent. 

The second half held as a tight contest into the first media break (15:23) with UMSL keeping its one-point lead, 43-42. The Tritons stacked up a 15-point lead behind a 17-0 run over the Bearcats. McKendree continued to push as Bultman began heating up with a pair of three-pointers and an assist to Parker, forcing the deficit down to eight points. McKendree sliced the lead down to just five points with six minutes remaining. 

With just over five minutes remaining, McKendree cut into the lead more, making its deficit just three points after Vicentic fired a jumper in the paint. UMSL held off the aggressive Bearcat offense for the remainder of the contest, building its lead to 10 to finish the outing. 

Seven Bearcats scored in the contest while four tallied at least one three-point bucket while totaling 16 assists on 27 baskets made. McKendree thrived in the paint against the Tritons, scoring 36 points from close-range but struggled to find diverse opportunities with just 13 bench points while having no fast-break scores. 

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