complete game notes in .pdf format
Storyline
The Lions look to break one streak this week and extend another one as they continue their climb up the standings.
On Thursday, Lindenwood travels to Evangel as it looks to break a four-game road losing streak. Two days later, the Lions will host Benedictine as they try for their sixth straight win at the Hyland Performance Arena. If the Lions are able to pick up two wins, their overall winning streak will tie a season-best five games.
More important than the streaks, two victories will help Lindenwood in the conference standings. The Lions would like to move up to at least third-place by the end of the season to have a chance at an automatic bid to the national tournament.
The team starts the week tied for fifth place with two others, including Benedictine, and the squad is just 1 1/2 games out of second-place, a spot in which Evangel currently resides.
Last Week's Results
Lindenwood picked up a pair of home victories last week, improving its record at home in 2009-10 to 8-1.
On Thursday, Lindenwood dominated the first half of play against Culver-Stockton as it jumped out to a 43-18 lead. After 20 more minutes of play, the Lions had a 74-47 victory.
Lindenwood held the HAAC's top three-point shooting team to just one-of-14 from beyond the arc.
A balanced offensive effort was led by David King with 13 points and Brett Thompson with 11.
Saturday, Lindenwood used a strong second half for a 64-44 win over Baker. The game was a three-point contest with 12:29 remaining, but the Lions only allowed one field goal the rest of the way as they closed out the game on a 24-7 run.
Alfred Nelson had a season-high 18 points and Richard Rose had 14. Both of those players hit four three-pointers.
Defense Wins Contests
Lindenwood won both games last week thanks to its defensive effort. In the two games, the Lions allowed just 45.5 points a game and held Culver-Stockton and Baker to 33.7 percent shooting from the field and 25.0 percent shooting from three-point range.
The Lions have now gone 17 straight contests, including all 12 HAAC games, without allowing over 70 points. Eight times during that span, Lindenwood has held the opposing team under 40 percent shooting from the field.
Lindenwood is 7-0 on the season when allowing under 60 points and 13-3 when allowing under 70.
Rebounding Battle
Lindenwood has won the rebounding battle in 12 out of the last 15 games. Eleven times in that span, it has outrebounded foes by over 10 boards.
Taking Care of the Ball
Lindenwood has a negative turnover margin for the season, but has improved that category in recent games. Over the last five games, the Lions have tied or recorded fewer turnovers in four of the contests.
Lindenwood "O"
Lindenwood is 10-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points, and it is 9-0 when shooting 45 percent or better from the field.
NAIA Top 25
Lindenwood ranks in the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense (12th), rebounding margin (13th), and field goal percentage defense (22nd).
NAIA Individual Rankings
Three Lindenwood players are ranked in the top 30 in the NAIA individual rankings.
Toriano Adams ranks eighth in the NAIA in offensive rebounds per game, 13th in total rebounds per game, and 19th in defensive rebounds per game. Joey Parker is 26th in assists per game. Richard Rose is 28th in free throw percentage.
Balanced Scoring
Seven different Lindenwood players have led the team in scoring this season for at least one game. Over the last five games, five different players have led the team in scoring. Richard Rose leads the team this year by being the leading scorer 11 times.
Lineup Boost
Lindenwood is 3-0 since Alfred Nelson has returned to action for the Lions. In those games, Nelson has scored in double figures in two games and is averaging 12.3 points a game. He is shooting 54.2 percent from the field and is seven-of-16 from three-point range.
Thompson's Scoring
Brett Thompson has scored in double figures in eight of the 12 games he has appeared in, including eight of the last nine. In those nine games, he is averaging 13.7 points and is shooting 56.8 percent from the field. For the season, he is shooting 64.3 percent for two-point field goal tries.
Three-Point Shooting
Brandon Kunkel is fourth in the HAAC in three-point field goal percentage and tied for fifth in three-pointers made.
Earlier This Season
Lindenwood is looking to rebound after falling to both Evangel and Benedictine earlier this year.
Evangel handed Lindenwood its lone home loss by a 70-67 decision. The Lions led for much of the game but could not pull away. The Crusaders took advantage by taking the lead in the final eight minutes and then surviving a missed Lions' three-pointer with seconds remaining.
Toriano Adams had a double-double for Lindenwood with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Richard Rose scored 14 points and Brett Thompson had nine points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots.
The Lindenwood/Benedictine game followed a similar theme. The two teams were tied with eight and a half minutes remaining when the Ravens hit back-to-back three-pointers which proved to be the turning point of the game.
The Lions dominated the boards but shot under 40 percent from the field, while Benedictine was over 50 percent shooting.
Rose had a team-high 15 points, and Joey Parker had 10 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
Scouting Evangel
Evangel has won four out of its last five games and is currently tied for second in the conference standings. The team has won four straight on its homecourt, all by double-digit margins.
The Crusaders win when their offense is clicking. In their last five victories, they are averaging nearly 86 points a game, and the team has only won twice this season when it was held under 70 points.
Three regulars are averaging double-figure points, led by Spud Harbour with 17.2 points a game. Chad Gillaspy is the team's top inside person, averaging 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a game.
Evangel is coached by Steve Jenkins. Jenkins recently passed 500 career victories in his 28th season at the school.
Scouting Benedictine
Benedictine is looking to snap out of a recent slide and get back into the HAAC race. The Ravens have lost three out of their last four to drop in the standings.
Benedictine's top strength is in turnover margin, where it leads the HAAC with a +2.7 mark. The Ravens force over 16 turnovers a game and also lead the conference with nearly nine steals a game.
Chris Bonham averages a double-double with 12.4 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. Jack Johnson is the team's leading scorer with 13.2 points a game, and he is also among the team leader in assists and steals.
Head coach of the Ravens is Joe Brickner. He is in his 12th season at the school and has won 165 games.
Up Next
Lindenwood remains home after the Benedictine game to face Missouri Valley on Feb. 11. Two days later, the Lions will travel to Graceland.
