The Lindenwood men's basketball picked up a big road victory on Saturday in Edmond, Okla. with a 69-60 win over Central Oklahoma. The Lions are the first MIAA team to win at Central Oklahoma this year, and they will return home from Oklahoma with a pair of victories.
 
The first half was a defensive struggle and the two teams were tied at 27 at halftime. Both shot under 45 percent from the field in the half, and combined for 15 turnovers and just three-of-15 shooting from three-point range.
 
The Lions made the first big run of the game at the start of the second half with a 12-1 spurt. The Bronchos got the lead back down into single digits, but could never get it within one possession. The closest it came was at 47-43 with 7:49 left, but Lindenwood's Brad Newman hit a jumper to start a 7-2 run in which Newman also hit a three-pointer. The Lions finally pulled away for good in the final 1:30 by hitting 10-of-10 free-throw attempts.
 
Lindenwood finished the game shooting 48 percent from the field and a perfect 16-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Lions held the Bronchos to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including two-of-14 from three-point range. Lindenwood tied a school record on the defensive end by blocking 11 shots, a mark it has now hit twice this season.
 
Cory Arentsen led the Lions with 23 points, and Newman had a career-high with 20. Those two players combined to make 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. Sam Mader had nine first-half points and Stanislas Heili finished with eight. Zachary Biggs had a team-high 12 rebounds and four assists, and Heili led the team with four blocks. Biggs and Mader also swatted away two shots, and three other Lions had one block.
 
Lindenwood stays in second place in the MIAA with an 11-4 conference mark, and it is now 15-6 on the season. The Lions continue their four-game road trip next Thursday at Missouri Western.