Tonight's Game

• The Lindenwood Lions will play their fourth consecutive home non-conference game against the Benedictine-Springfield Bulldogs.  

• Lindenwood had its two game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night against the Maryville Saints. The loss snapped the team's four-game home winning streak as well.
 
• Benedictine-Springfieldf comes to the Hyland Arena with a record of 3-3. The Bulldogs have won their  last three games after losing their first three games.
 
• This will be the first time that the Lions will take on the Benedictine-Springfield Bulldogs.

Lindenwood Notes

• Darris Smith is the team's lone returning starter and has started off the season very well. In six games, he has averaged over 35 minutes a game and has just six turnovers compared to 21 assists. Twice this season the junior has played in all 40 minutes.

• Smith has had more assists than turnovers in every game but one this season. The game he didn't, his assist to turnover ration was one.

• Sophomore Brandon Marquardt was the first Lion off the bench in the first four games but is now in the starting lineup. He has also been very effective. Marquardt is averaging 11.2 points in six games and has scored in double figures five times.

• The Lions have done a good job spreading the scoring around in the early season. Lindenwood has three guys that average over 10 points a game and two more that average over seven.

• Three-point shooting has been a strength in the early season. The Lions have made at least seven threes in every game but two. In a win against Westminster, Lindenwood made a season-high 10 threes. When the Lions attempt more threes the team is 2-0.

• With the injury to backup point guard Nick Van Osdale, Tyler Ressel has had to step up and run the point while Smith has taken a rest. Ressel has dished out 12 assists while running the point. The lone senior is second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points a game.  

• Working the glass on the offensive side has been a positive for the Lions in the early season. Every player but one has grabbed at least one offensive rebound. Reeg is leading the team in offensive rebounds with 12.

• Rebounding has not been a problem in the early season for the Lions. The team has won the rebounding battle in all but two games.

• The loss to Maryville was the first nonconference home defeat in the last seven games.

• Freshman Marcus Hinton has made an early impact in his career. Hinton is averaging four points a game to go along with three rebounds as a freshman.

• In six games, there has been five separate Lions lead the team in scoring. Darris Smith is the only Lions that  has led the team in scoring more than once.

• The Lions starting five have been frequent visitors to the charity stripe this season. The five starters have taken 113 free throws and are shooting 82 percent from the stripe.

• So far this season the Lions have faced some hot shooting teams. Opponents are shooting 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from behind the three-point line.

• Through six games this season there has only been one game that has been decided by less than 10 points. The closest game has been eight points.

• Going back to last season the Lions have compiled a 6-1 record in non-conference home games.

• In 2012-13, the Lions did not play a nationally ranked team. But already in 2013-14 Lindenwood has played two top-five teams.

• Over the past two seasons, the Lions have gone 9-4 against non-conference opponents.

• Unlike last year's team which had six seniors this season's squad has just one. Tyler Ressel is the only senior on the roster.

• The Hyland Arena floor has been very good to the Lions since Brad Soderberg took over. In his first five seasons, Lindenwood is 52-8 at home.  

Benedictine-Springfield Notes

• The Benedictine-Springfield Bulldogs enter tonight's game with a record of 3-3 overall and 2-0 on the road. The Bulldogs have won thier last three games after losing its first three of the season.

• As a team, the Bulldogs are averaging 71.6 points a game and surrender 65.5 points. Benedictine-Springfield has shot 44 percent from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc. The Bulldogs is also shooting 65 percent from the free-throw line.  

• The Bulldogs have two guys that average over 10 points a night. Justin Smith leads the team with an average of 12.3. Nick Bennett is second on the team with a 11.8 points per game average. Cedric Smith is leading the team in rebouding with 6.0 boards a game.

• Ian McKeithen is the head coach of the Bulldogs. McKeithen is in his second season at the helm and has a record of 9-26.