Final 23 Seconds (Video)

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Alfred Nelson hit a driving lay-up with 6.3 seconds remaining to give the No. 14 Lindenwood men's basketball team a season opening 81-79 victory over No. 8 McKendree. The victory came during day one of the Texas Roadhouse Classic at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

Lindenwood took the lead in the second half with 10:38 remaining and held on to that advantage until McKendree's Eric Hobbie tied the game with 12 seconds left on the clock. Nelson took the inbounds pass and drove straight down the court and hit a contested lay-up for the game-winning shot. McKendree had one final play, but Lindenwood knocked the entry pass away. The Bearcats recovered, but its desperation three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.

The first half of the game was a defensive battle with both teams shooting under 40 percent and combining for 16 turnovers. The Lions led 31-24 with 1:30 remaining, but McKendree scored the final four points of the half to cut the lead to three.

In the second half, both teams had big runs in which they appeared to take control of the game. The Bearcats opened the final 20 minutes by going on a 16-5 run. A few minutes later though, Lindenwood started a 29-10 spurt which helped it open up a 67-56 lead with 6:47 left in the game. McKendree chipped into that lead, getting within one point on four different occasions. It could never go ahead though, with Hobbie's three-pointer being the closest it came.

Free throws played a huge role in the game, with Lindenwood going to the line 35 times after aggressively driving to the basket for much of the game. The Lions hit 28 of those charity shots, which helped them overcome a cold night from beyond the arc.

Kramer Soderberg scored a game-high 27 points in his Lindenwood debut. He hit nine of 17 from the field and all nine of his free throw attempts. Brett Thompson added 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Richard Rose was the final player in double figures with 10, and he was also perfect after six shots from the free throw line.

Alex Bazzell had nine points and Nelson finished with eight points and six rebounds. Freshmen Garrett Reeg and Michael Boos combined for 10 points in their first collegiate game. David King led the team with three blocks and grabbed six boards.

McKendree's Hobbie finished with 24 points and every starter had at least nine points. The Bearcats only had six points off the bench though, compared to 18 for the Lions.

Lindenwood has now defeated three straight ranked opponents at its annual Classic event. The Lions will go for number four tomorrow evening against No. 2 Southern Nazarene. Southern Nazarene defeated Lindenwood-Belleville by an 84-56 score in the opening game of the Texas Roadhouse Classic.