ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's best offensive output of the season got the Miners into the win column Thursday night, as they recorded a season high for points and knocked off McKendree 93-87 at Billy Key Court.

The win was the first for the Miners in Great Lakes Valley Conference play this season and ended a 16-game losing streak that stretched back to December.   The Miners (3-22, 1-16 GLVC) took the lead with just over six minutes to play in the first half and never relinquished it, despite a number of rally efforts by the Bearcats (12-15, 3-14 GLVC).

McKendree, behind the shooting of the GLVC's leading scorer, Justin Blanks, jumped out to a 9-2 lead to start the game before the Miners began cutting into the margin.  S&T got three-point baskets on consecutive possessions from Allante Pickens (Chicago, IL/Curie) and Ervin Sarajlic (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) to take its first lead of the game at 17-15 as the contest began to go back and forth.

After the Bearcats held a three-point lead with eight minutes to play in the half, the Miners rattled off nine straight points – five of them coming from Joe Johnson (Waynesville, MO/Waynesville), whose layup at the 6:09 mark put S&T in front for good.  The Miners would eventually stretch their lead to seven before taking a five-point lead to the locker room.

Missouri S&T shot 55.6 percent in the first half and hit eight-of-15 from three-point range, while McKendree connected on 54.5 percent of its shots in the opening half which included a 20-point outburst by Blanks, who entered the game averaging just under 20 points per contest.

The Bearcats cut the Miner lead to one early in the second half before an 8-2 spurt, capped by a three-pointer by Pickens, extended the margin back to seven.  Later in the half, the Miners got a basket from Dulan Scott (Chicago, IL/Farragut Academy) to push the margin to 10 and kept the game at least at a three-possession margin for the next four-plus minutes before McKendree tried to make one late run.

S&T led 90-81 after Sebastian Ferenc (Zgierz, Poland/) made two free throws at the 1:47 mark, but the Bearcats cut it to three with 17 seconds to play on the last of Blanks' game-high 30 points.  However, Pickens hit two free throws to make it a five-point game and Scott rebounded a missed three-pointer by Nate Michael to all but secure the victory.

The Miners had six players in double figures, led by Ferenc who recorded his third double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds.  Chris Harris (Antioch, IL/Lake Forest Academy) added 17 off the bench, while Pickens had four of S&T's 13 three-pointers among his 14 points.

Romain Louiserre (La Ferte Alais, France/Fredrick Fays) and Johnson had 12 points each and Scott finished the night with 11, as S&T shot 48.6 percent from the field.

The Miners will wrap up their 2017-18 season Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., when they face Rockhurst in a 3 p.m. contest.