A strong second half led the Lindenwood men's basketball team to a victory in its conference opener. The Lions outscored Culver-Stockton 55-31 in the final 20 minutes for an 83-58 victory over the Wildcats.

The first half was back and forth with five ties and seven lead changes. Both teams were cold shooting as they combined to hit 37.5 percent from the field and 19 percent from three-point range.

Both teams shot better in the second half but Culver-Stockton could not keep up with the Lions. Lindenwood put the game away with a 17-5 run midway through the period. That run helped the Lions open up a 55-39 lead with 8:36 remaining in the game. A 12-0 run late in the game gave Lindenwood a 27-point advantage, its largest of the night.

In that final half, Lindenwood shot 60.7 percent from the field. The Lions also dictated the action on the offensive end which led to 17 points at the free throw line, compared to just three for Culver-Stockton.

For the game, Lindenwood shot just under 50 percent from the field. It made seven of 20 from three-point range and 19 of 30 from the free throw line. Culver-Stockton shot 41.5 percent from the field, including just five of 21 from three-point range. Lindenwood grabbed 13 more rebounds and turned the ball over three less times.

Four of Lindenwood's starters ended up in double-figure scoring. Kramer Soderberg led the team with 19 points and Richard Rose had 17. That duo connected on 14 of 20 shots from the field, including four three-pointers by Rose. Alex Bazzell and David King each ended the contest with 10 points. King had a game-high eight rebounds and Bazzell led the team with six assists. Alfred Nelson was the top player off the bench, scoring eight points and grabbing six boards.

Lindenwood improves to 6-1 overall on the season. The Lions will look to move to 2-0 in conference play when they travel to Baker on Saturday afternoon.