complete game notes in .pdf format
Storyline
The top two teams in the preseason HAAC coaches poll will square off on Thursday when Lindenwood travels to Evangel. All 11 first-place votes went to either the Lions or Crusaders, and Lindenwood edged out Evangel by just three points.
Both teams are off to a 2-0 start in conference play and the winner will start 2011 tied for first place in the HAAC.
Lindenwood enters the game with a 7-1 record and it is ranked No. 14 in the latest NAIA national ranking. The Lions are currently riding a six-game winning streak. In that span, their defense is allowing just 56.7 points a game.
Evangel is 5-3 on the season. The Crusaders were ranked No. 22 in the preseason national poll, and are currently receiving votes in the ranking.
Last Week's Results
Last week, Lindenwood defeated Missouri Baptist in non-conference play, and then opened up conference action with victories over Culver-Stockton and Baker. Lindenwood averaged 81.7 points for the week and allowed just 58.0 points a contest.
Lindenwood scored a season-high in points in a 91-63 road victory over Missouri Baptist. The Lions put the game away early, scoring the first six points and eventually leading by a 45-22 score at halftime.
For the contest, the Lions made 45.8 percent from the field. Lindenwood was especially dominate in the paint, outscoring Missouri Baptist 46-22.
Alex Bazzell had 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Brett Thompson had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lions outscored Culver-Stockton 55-31 in the final 20 minutes for an 83-58 victory over the Wildcats.
Four of Lindenwood's starters ended up in double-figure scoring. Kramer Soderberg led the team with 19 points and Richard Rose had 17. Bazzell and David King each had 10 points apiece.
Lindenwood's defense led the team to a 72-53 win over Baker. The Wildcats shot just 36.8 percent from the field.
Soderberg led the Lions with 20 points, Rose had 13, and Thompson finished with 12. Thompson led the team with eight rebounds and four assists. David King finished with eight points and six rebounds.
Defending the HAAC
Lindenwood has played 25 straight games against HAAC programs without allowing over 70 points. In fourteen of those games, the Lions have held teams under 60 points, including the last five.
2010-11 Defense
The Lions are currently 15th in NAIA Division I in scoring defense (62.3), and 22nd in field goal percentage defense (.393).
Rebounding Margin
Lindenwood has won the rebounding battle in five out of the last six games. In those six games, the Lions have a +9.3 rebounding margin.
Protecting the Ball
Lindenwood ranks second in the NAIA for the fewest turnovers a game with just 11.88 a contest. Only once this season have the Lions turned the ball over more than 13 times in a game.
The Lions are 11th in the NAIA with a 1.10 assist-to-turnover ratio, and have a +1.25 turnover margin.
Offensive Numbers
Lindenwood leads the conference with 77.2 points a game, just ahead of Graceland and Evangel. In the last four games, Lindenwood is averaging 80.5 points a game. In those contests, the Lions are shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point range.
Free Throw Shooting
Lindenwood ranks 20th in the nation in free throw percentage, making .703 percent of its shots.
Soderberg in Rankings
Kramer Soderberg ranks tenth in the NAIA in free throw percentage (.881), 34th in assists per game (4.3), 38th in field goal percentage (.540), and 42nd in scoring (17.5).
Three-Point Shooters
Lindenwood has three shooters that are averaging over one three-pointer a game, and two others averaging nearly one a contest.
Richard Rose leads the team with 20 three-pointers and Michael Boos has made 12. Both players are shooting over 52 percent and are ranked in the top 15 in the NAIA in three-point percentage.
Kramer Soderberg has hit nine, and both Alex Bazzell and Brandon Kunkel have connected on six three-pointers.
Free Throw Shooters
In close games, Lindenwood has four free throw shooters to count on late in games. The quartet of Kramer Soderberg, Richard Rose, Alex Bazzell, and Alfred Nelson are all shooting over 80 percent from the line. The four have a combined free throw percentage of .853. Soderberg and Bazzell have each gone to the line 42 lines, and Soderberg leads with 37 makes.
Defensive Stats Leaders
Lindenwood ranks 24th in the NAIA with 3.8 blocks a game. Brett Thompson and Alfred Nelson are tied for the team lead with eight blocks, one more than David King.
Four Lions are averaging at least 0.9 steals a game. Kramer Soderberg, Richard Rose, and King each have eight steals, and Alex Bazzell has seven.
Scouting the Crusaders
Evangel will enter the Lindenwood contest with a 5-3 record. The Crusaders opened the year with a 3-1 mark, including two victories over ranked teams. Two straight losses dropped the team to .500, but it has bounced back with HAAC wins over Graceland and Baker.
Evangel is right behind the Lions by averaging 77.1 points a contest, and it is allowing 71.4 points a game. Evangel leads the HAAC in free throw percentage and is tied for first with Lindenwood in blocks.
The Crusaders are led by Spud Harbour. He is tenth in the NAIA with 20.9 points a game and 13th with a .862 free throw percentage. He leads the team with 17 three-pointers, 27 assists, and 15 steals.
Mike Storey and Chad Gillaspy each average over 11 points a game. Gillaspy leads the team with 8.5 rebounds a game, and Storey is second with nearly seven rebounds a game.
Head coach of Evangel is Steve Jenkins. Jenkins is in his 29th season at the school and has won 516 games. He has won four conference championships and the 2002 NAIA Division II National Championship.
Common Opponents
Lindenwod and Evangel have played two common opponents. Both squads defeated Baker in conference play. Lindenwood lost earlier in the year to Southern Nazarene. Evangel picked up a win over Southern Nazarene, but that game was played without one of Southern Nazarene's top players.
Last Season Results
Evangel was the lone HAAC program to sweep the season series with Lindenwood last year.
In the first game between the two, Evangel won 70-67 in St. Charles. Lindenwood led for most of the game but couldn't put the Crusaders away.
Evangel took the lead with eight minutes remaining and led by as much as seven down the stretch.
In the deciding second half, Evangel shot 46.7 percent from the field, while Lindenwood was just 34.4 percent.
Toriano Adams led the Lions with 13 points and 16 rebounds, and Richard Rose had 14 points. Brett Thompson, in his Lions debut, had nine points, five rebounds, and three blocks.
In the rematch in Springfield, Evangel won by a 69-62 margin.
The Crusaders again won the contest in the second half when they outscored the Lions 37-30. Evangel shot 60 percent in the final 20 minutes, compared to 35.3 percent for Lindenwood.
Adams led Lindenwood with 16 points. Joey Parker had 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Alfred Nelson was the final player in double-figure scoring, and Rose led the team with four assists.
Up Next
The Lions will travel to Chicago for three games next week, including contests against Rocky Mountain, the 2009 NAIA National Champion, and Robert Morris, the current No. 1 team in the NAIA.
