Today's Game

• The Lindenwood Lions will play their seventh consecutive home game when they take on the Northeastern State Riverhawks. The game is the seventh of a nine game home stand and is the team's second consecutive conference game.

• Lindenwood is coming off a 88-77 win over the Central Oklahoma Bronchos. The win improved the Lions to the 5-4 on the season and 4-1 at home.
 
• Northeastern State comes to the Hyland Arena with a record of 6-2. The Riverhawks have won their  last two games and are coming off their first conference win of the season.
 
• These two teams have met three times. The Lions have won all three meetings. 

Lindenwood Notes

• Darris Smith is the team's lone returning starter and has started off the season very well. In nine games, he has averaged over 33 minutes a game and has just 12 turnovers compared to 28 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 10.2 points and has scored in double figures six 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 four more that average over eight.

• Three-point shooting has been a strength in the early season. The Lions have made at least seven threes in every game but two. 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 3-0 and are 4-1 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 24 assists while running the point. The lone senior is also leading the team in scoring with 14.9 points a game.  

• 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 93-89. Garrett Reeg is leading the team in offensive rebounds with 23.

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

 • In eight 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.

• 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 53 percent clip.

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

• When the Lions offense has been clicking they have been tough to beat. When they score over 80 points the team is 4-0.

• 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 180 free throws and are shooting 82 percent from the stripe.

• So far this season, there has only been one game that has been decided by less than 10 points. The closest game has been eight 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 55-8 at home.

Northeastern State Notes

• The Northeastern State Riverhawks enter tonight's game with a record of 6-2. The Riverhawks have won their last two games and are 1-2 away from home.

• As a team, the Riverhawks are averaging 79.6 points a game and surrender 67.6 points. Northeastern State has shot 49 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc. The Riverhawks are also shooting 73 percent from the free-throw line.  

• The Riverhawks are led by Bryton Hobbs who is averaging 23.3 points a game which is tops in the MIAA. Curtis Evans is second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points a game and leads the team in rebounding with an average of 10.1 a contest.

• Larry Gipson is the head coach of Northeastern State. He is in his 17th season at the helm of the Riverhawks and has a record of 270-190.