Metro East Sun

Men’s Basketball Upsets William Jewell, Set to Face No. 7 Southwest Baptist in Semifinals

McKendree University men's basketball claimed an 80-68 win over William Jewell on Friday afternoon to earn a spot in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament. The Bearcats face Southwest Baptist on Saturday for a chance to play in the championship game on Sunday. 

The Cardinals and Bearcats proved an even match in the first few minutes of play as the score read 6-6 with just under 16 minutes to go in the first half. However, McKendree would pick up the offensive pace and secure several scoreless defensive possessions, going on an 11-0 run to lead the Cardinals 24-10. The Bearcats poured on the offense to hold a 45-28 advantage over William Jewell headed into halftime. 

In the second half, the Cardinals entertained a comeback, closing the gap to as a few as five points with six three-pointers in the half. The Bearcats had a solid defensive performance in the last 10 minutes and held off William Jewell to secure a 12-point victory.  

As a team, McKendree shot 57.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from beyond the arc while William Jewell tallied a 43.5 percentage from the field and 32.1 percentage from three-point range.  

McKendree had four players in double digits, including junior forward Milos Vicentic with 20 points, senior guard Bryson Bultman with 16 points, senior guard Aleksandar Davitkov with 13 points, and sophomore forward Caleb Zurliene with 12 points in the victory. Bultman nearly eclipsed a triple-double, adding nine points and nine assists. Davitkov shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the three-line, accounting for three of the Bearcats' eight total triples while sophomore forward Hayden Meakes and Vicentic recorded two each. Defensively, Zurliene topped the stats for the Bearcats with three steals and two blocks. 

McKendree head coach George Suggs on the win:  "This is a tremendous win for our program. William Jewell is a great team and gave us every bit of fight in the second half, but I thought our effort was excellent throughout. To be one of the last four teams playing for a chance to win this conference is a tremendous opportunity that we don't take lightly. It will take every bit of our effort, energy, and focus to get the job done."  

McKendree advances to the semifinals on Saturday, March 4, facing No. 7-seeded Southwest Baptist at 2:15 p.m. at Hyland Arena on the campus of Lindenwood University.  

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