Lindenwood University Athletics

The Lindenwood women's basketball team dropped the 2016-17 season-opener to Embry-Riddle by a final of 66-61 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
Freshman Lindsay Medlen led the team with 14 points while freshman Gabby Walker and sophomore transfer Sara Ross each grabbed six rebounds.  Lindenwood was outscored from three-point range 27-3 and tallied just five assists to the Eagles 18 helpers.  Lindenwood made 22-of-36 free-throws while Embry-Riddle made just 13-of-21.
 
Ross scored the first bucket of the game on a layup and Walker knocked down a jumper to put Lindenwood up 4-2 just 1:30 into the season.  Senior captain Jerricah Butler helped give Lindenwood its largest lead of the game with a layup to make it a 6-2 ballgame.  Embry-Riddle went on a five-point run in which it held the Lady Lions scoreless in over two minutes to take a 7-6 lead.
 
Medlen scored the next six points for Lindenwood, but the Eagles held a 16-12 lead nearing the end of the opening quarter.  Junior Kylie Ferguson made a couple of free-throws, but the Eagles extend the lead to as many as seven before closing out the first quarter with a 23-18 lead.  Kallie Bildner tallied two points with two rebounds, but early foul trouble kept her playing time to a minimum.
 
Embry-Riddle opened the second quarter with two quick three-pointers made to hold an 11-point lead.  The Lady Lions were held scoreless for the frist 3:31 of the second frame before senior Beth Maenpaa knocked down two free-throws.  Lindenwood did not get a bucket for another two minutes, but two free-throws by Ferguson started a much need run by the Lady Lions.
 
Alex Haley made a free-throw just 30 seconds later and Charisse Williams immediately scored on a layup to pull the Lady Lions within seven points.  Haley, Ross, and CeCe Rapp each tallied two points to bring Lindenwood within one point with less than one minute remaining in the half.  The Eagles knocked down a last-second three-pointer to close out the half with a 35-31 lead over Lindenwood.  The Lady Lions knocked down 11-of-16 free throws and grabbed five steals.  Lindenwood was outrebounded 18-16 and did not make a three-pointer while its opposition knocked down five deep-balls.
 
The Eagles continued to shoot the three-ball with precision after knocking down two in just over one minute of play in the second half.  Lindenwood fought back to a six-point deficit with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter as neither team scored in the next three minutes.  Embry-Riddle extended its lead to 10 points at the 4:51 mark forcing Lindenwood to step up on offense.  Maenpaa scored a key bucket in the final two minutes to help Lindenwood pull within six points to end the third quarter.
 
Rapp closed the gap to 51-47 after a making a jumper at the 8:21 mark.  The youth of Lindenwood sparked a rally after Walker put the Lady Lions within three points and Medlen made the first three-pointer of the game for Lindenwood to tie the game at 52-52.  Medlen and Walker scored the next three points to give Lindenwood a three-point lead with over five minutes remaining.  Both teams traded buckets until Embry-Riddle held a one-point lead with 1:25 left in the game and the Eagles did not look back as they went on to win 66-61.
 
Lindenwood falls to 0-1 on the season after the season-opener.  The Lady Lions will travel to St. Augustine, Fla. on Sunday to take on Flagler at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. central).