Columbia College men's basketball 83, McKendree College 75

• The forward poured in 21 points for Columbia College.

In a matchup between the top two teams in the American Midwest Conference, the No. 17 Cougars improved to 19-5 overall and remain unbeaten in conference play (4-0). The Bearcats, ranked No. 21 in the NAIA, dropped to 19-6 but still remain in second place with a conference record of 3-2.

Thomas, who went into Thursday night averaging 10.7 points per game, had the kind of game that earned him first-team All-AMC recognition a year ago. The senior made seven of 12 shots from the field and was 10-for-15 from the free-throw line. He also had six rebounds, including a pair of key boards in the closing minutes that kept McKendree at bay.

Although it was a big night for Thomas, he downplayed his big numbers as well as that it was a sign of things to come.

“On any given night any person can step up and do as good as anyone else,” Thomas said. “Every time we come on the court, it’s a team effort for us.”

In addition to the high scoring numbers by Columbia’s Thomas and McKendree’s Nic Stotler (24 points) and Matt Laur (18 points), defense was another key to the victory.

"We’re still trying to improve on our defensive intensity," said Columbia forward Brandon Moore, who finished with 12 points. "When we go out and put pressure on our opponent, we usually win."

The Cougars did just that. McKendree was forced into 20 turnovers for the game, compared to Columbia’s nine. Bearcat point guard Dion Flippins had a game-high seven turnovers thanks to the relentless pressure from Columbia guards Kenny Moore and Eric Hemmer.

"I wouldn’t want to bring up the ball up against those guys," Columbia coach Bob Burchard said. "Kenny and Eric played great defense."

While McKendree was able to have its way on the inside, the Cougars used their quicker players to penetrate the lane, scoring layups and hitting free throws.

The Bearcats brought 6-foot-11 Laur to improve their interior presence on offense and defense. So far the freshman is leading the league in rebounding (12 per game), field goal percentage (68.5 percent) and is second in scoring (18.1 points per game).

"I always watch the Today Show," said Burchard, referring to the similarity in names between the center and the show’s host. "With him you don’t have to say ‘where in the world is Matt Laur.’ You just find him, he’s just that big."

Laur was a near-perfect 7-for-8 from the field and finished with a game-high nine rebounds.

"Anytime you’re undersized you have to out-quick them down the court and get some good baskets," said Thomas. "It all started with our defensive intensity which translated into scoring opportunities."

The Cougars took eight minutes to take their first lead, 15-13, and then broke out on a 9-2 run, extending the lead to 24-15 with nine minutes left in the first half.

McKendree’s second-leading scorer, Stotler (15.7 points per game), kept the Bearcats close throughout. The sharpshooting guard was 5-for-10 on 3-pointers, but committed four turnovers.

"All you can do is contest him and hope to contain him," Thomas said. "You can only hope that your defensive intensity will pick up in other areas so that one particular player can’t kill you the entire game."

The Cougars’ next AMC test will be at home against struggling Hannibal-LaGrange. Despite the Trojans’ 0-4 conference record, they will bring two of the top scorers in center Robert Joseph (18 points per game) and point guard Donald Bell (16.6 per game).

"I think Joseph is one of the best inside players in the league and they are also very strong at the point," Burchard said. "It’s going to be a great game."

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