The Lindenwood men's basketball team received an offensive boost from its bench on Tuesday night in Springfield, Ill., which helped the Lions defeat Illinois Springfield by a 75-54 score.
 
Lindenwood scored a season-high 28 points from its bench in the game, led by Nick Van Osdale. Osdale set career-highs with 19 points and seven rebounds. He was five-of-five from three-point range and also hit all four free throws he attempts. LJ McIntosh and Charles Rushman also had season-highs in points to help the Lions' bench account for 37.3 percent of the team's points.
 
The Lions never trailed after the first minute as an early 10-0 run helped the team open up a 12-2 lead. Four of the team's five starters scored in that run with three-pointers by Brad Newman and Cory Arentsen, and layups by Stanislas Heili and Zachary Biggs.
 
The Prairie Stars cut that lead down to four midway through the half, but Lindenwood went on a 9-0 run, sparked by two three-pointers by Van Osdale. The Lions would go on to lead 33-20 at halftime. In the second half, the team led by at least eight points throughout the half, and a 13-0 run in the final minutes of the game helped extend the final margin of the game to 21.
 
Lindenwood had its best defensive effort of the season, holding Illinois Springfield to 30.4 percent shooting from the field. The Lions also committed just 10 fouls which led to the Prairie Stars making five free throws in the game. Lindenwood shot 47.9 percent from the field, and made a season-high 13 three-pointers on 52 percent shooting from behind the arc. The Lions also scored 16 points from the free-throw line on 20 attempts. Lindenwood dominated the boards with a +17 rebounding margin.
 
Cory Arentsen tied Van Osdale with 19 points, and Brad Newman was in double-figure scoring with 12. Newman also had a team-high six assists. Heili had a team-high rebounds, extending his double-figure rebounding streak to five games. Arentsen and Chandler Diekvoss had eight rebounds apiece.
 
Lindenwood improves to 4-1 on the season. The Lions begin a six-game homestand next Tuesday night when they face Quincy at 7 p.m.