Tonight's Game

• The Lindenwood Lions will play their first true road game of the season this weekend when they travel to Kearney, Neb. to take on the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

• Lindenwood is coming off a 114-112 double overtime loss to the Missouri S&T Miners. The loss dropped the Lions to 6-6 on the season and 5-3 at home.
 
• Nebraska-Kearney enters the game with a record of 3-5 on the season and 1-2 in MIAA play. The Lopers won their last game against Lincoln. Nebraska-Kearney is 3-1 at home.
 
• The Lions and the Lopers have met one time and the Lions won the game 84-75.

Lindenwood Notes

• Tyler Ressel is coming off one of the best games by a Lion in program history. Against Missouri S&T, his 41 points scored was the second highest point total in program history. He also broke the schoole record for free throw attempts with 24 and tied the record for free throws made with 21.

• Darris Smith is the team's lone returning starter and has started off the season very well. In 12 games, he has averaged over 34 minutes a game and has just 18 turnovers compared to 38 assists. Twice this season the junior has played in all 40 minutes.

• 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 10.8 points and has scored in double figures eight 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 three 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 three. Three times this season, Lindenwood made a season-high 10 threes in a game. When the Lions attempt more threes than their opponents the team is 3-1 and are 5-2 when its makes more threes.

• 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 33 assists while running the point.   

• Working the glass on the offensive side has been a positive for the Lions in the early season. The team is outrebounding its opponents on the offensive glass 128-120. Garrett Reeg is leading the team in offensive rebounds with 32.

 • In 11 games, there has been five separate Lions lead the team in scoring. Darris Smith,Tyler Ressel, and Michael Boos are the only Lions that  have led the team in scoring more than once.

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

• The Lions two starting bigs have been very efficient shooting the ball this season. Garrett Reeg and Sam Mader have started every game this season and have shot at a 54 percent clip.

• In every game but two this season the Lions have shot at least 10 free throws. Five times this season Lindenwood has had games when it took 30 free throws.

• In the loss to Missouri S&T, the Lions 45 free throws attempted was the second most free throws in school hostory.

• When the Lions offense has been clicking they have been tough to beat. When they score over 80 points the team is 5-1.

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

• The Lions starting five have been frequent visitors to the charity stripe this season. The five starters have taken 244 free throws and are shooting 82 percent from the stripe.

• So far this season, there has only been three games that has been decided by less than 10 points. The closest game has been two points.

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

• 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 56-12 at home.

Nebraska-Kearney Notes

• The Nebraska-Kearney Lopers enter tonight's game with a record of 3-5 overall and 1-2 in MIAA play. The Lopers have won just one game in their last four games.

• As a team, the Lopers are averaging 78.6 points a game and are giving up 80.4. Nebraska-Kearney are shooting 47 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc. The Lopers are also shooting 67 percent from the free-throw line.  

• The Lopers are led by four players who score in double figures. Connor Beranek leads the team with an average of 21.9 points a game. Tyler Shields is second on the team with an average of 13.6 while Mike Dentlinger scores 13.5. Davion Pearson chips in with 11.

• Tom Kropp and Kevin Lofton are co-head coaches of the Lopers.