LEBANON, Ill. – Another Thursday night, another come-from-behind win for the Miners as Missouri S&T's men's basketball team overcame a 13-point deficit with over eight minutes remaining to pick up a critical Great Lakes Valley Conference win with a 70-68 victory over McKendree.
The Miners trailed 61-48 with 8:29 following a three-point play by Luke Hensler and still trailed by 12 with 6:20 to go. However, S&T outscored McKendree 17-3 over the final six minutes and won the game on
Julien Smith's (Fort Worth, TX/Northwest) foul line jumper with 15 seconds remaining to move the Miners above the .500 mark in conference play in an ever-tightening race.
With Thursday's win, the Miners improved to 15-10 overall -- assuring themselves of their first winning season since the 1996-97 campaign – and more important, to 9-8 in the GLVC as they improved their prospects of qualifying the GLVC Tournament in two weeks.
S&T and McKendree (12-12, 8-9 GLVC) were tied at 33 at the intermission, then the Bearcats started the second half hot from the floor and took a six-point lead after a three-pointer by Eric Powell. Following a timeout, the Miners responded with baskets from
Kaden Froebe (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) and
Dylan Singleton (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) and a three-pointer by
Ikenna Okeke (Bolingbrook, IL/Romeoville) to take a 46-45 lead, only to see the Bearcats make a run of their own to retake the lead.
McKendree moved back in front on a lay-in by Aleksandar Davitkov which started a 13-0 run that gave the Bearcats a 12-point lead. Smith scored in the lane to halt the scoring run, only to see Hensler get his three-point play on McKendree's next trip down the floor to put the Miners into a 13-point hole with 8:29 to go.
Trailing 65-53 with 6:20 left, the Miners rattled off eight straight points that were bookended by lay-ins by Okeke to get to within four, but Bryson Bultman hit a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down with 3:30 to play to push the McKendree lead to 68-61.
That three-pointer, however, would turn out to be the last basket the Bearcats would score as the Miners held McKendree to one-of-eight shooting and two turnovers in its final 10 possessions.
In the meantime, the Miners continued to cut into the margin, getting a driving lay-in from
Lovell Williams (Rogers, MN/Maple Grove) and a three-pointer from Smith with 1:50 to go to get to within two. After a missed shot by Hensler, the Miners tied the game when Okeke got a rebound of his own miss and a put-back to knot the contest at 68.
Bultman missed a fallaway jumper with 39 seconds to go and the ball went out of bounds to the Miners with a five-second differential in the clocks. Smith got the ball at the other end and drove to just inside the foul line and swished a jumper to put the Miners into the lead, then Hensler missed a long three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Williams led four Miners in double figures with 17 points, while Smith and Okeke finished with 16 apiece. Froebe was the fourth Miner in double figures with 10 points and he also added seven assists and three steals.
S&T finished the game at 44.8 percent from the field, shooting 48.5 percent in the second half after a slow start to the half from the floor. The Miners outscored the Bearcats 42-30 in the paint.
McKendree was led by Bultman with 15 points and Hayden Meakes with 14.
Missouri S&T will wrap up its regular season road slate Saturday when it faces Maryville in St. Louis at 3 p.m.
