McKendree releases schedule, will play SIUE preseason men’s basketball game
The McKendree University men’s basketball program released its 2016-17 schedule and it features another challenging slate.
The Bearcats will play a pair of in-state exhibition games against NCAA Division I opponents before tipping off the regular season on Nov. 16 at home. McKendree will play 26 contests during the regular season, including 16 within the friendly confines of the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
“I am excited about the upcoming season,” said McKendree men’s basketball coach Harry Statham. “We had a strong finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference last year and we are hoping to compete well in the conference again this season.”
Up first for McKendree will be an exhibition game on Nov. 5 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The Bearcats and Cougars have not squared off on the basketball court since the 1991-92 season. That year, the teams split a pair of meetings with each team winning on its home floor. McKendree edged SIUE by a point at 73-72 at the Statham Center near the end of the 1991-92 campaign.
McKendree’s other Division I exhibition contest will come 10 days later Nov. 15 at the University of Illinois. It will be the Bearcats’ second trip to the State Farm Center in four years. Back on Oct. 24, 2013, McKendree held an early first-half lead before the Fighting Illini pulled away for the victory.
“The exhibition games at SIUE and Illinois will give us invaluable exposure and an opportunity to evaluate our preseason progress against NCAA Division I competition,” said Statham.
A day after the Illinois exhibition, McKendree will take the floor at the Statham Center to open its 2016-17 regular-season slate against Robert Morris University-Springfield. That game will mark the beginning of a stretch where the Bearcats will play 11 of 12 games at home, including eight straight home tilts from Dec. 1 through Jan. 7. Key non-conference opponents for McKendree in the early part of the 2016-17 schedule include Lincoln University (Nov. 22), Trevecca Nazarene University (Dec. 10) and Salem International University (Dec. 14).
McKendree will play its first four GLVC games of the season at the Statham Center, including two before the holidays.
The Bearcats will host the University of Southern Indiana to tip off GLVC play on Dec. 1 before Bellarmine University comes to town two days later. McKendree will close out its long home stretch by entertaining Quincy University on Jan. 5 and Truman State University on Jan. 7.
Senior Day will come for McKendree on Saturday, Feb. 4 against the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After that contest, the Bearcats will embark on a five-game road swing to close out regular-season play. McKendree will make the short trip north to the University of Illinois Springfield for the final game on the regular season slate on Feb. 23.
The 2017 GLVC Tournament will begin with first-round play on Feb. 26. The first-round winners will join the top four seeds at the final site for the GLVC Tournament, which will return to the Ford Center in Evansville March 2-5.
McKendree earned its first-ever berth in the GLVC Tournament last spring. The Bearcats were 13-14 overall and 6-12 against conference foes. McKendree will have seven returning letterman back from last season’s squad, including five who started at least half of the Bearcats’ contests in 2015-16.
This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "McKendree releases schedule, will play SIUE preseason men’s basketball game."