The Lindenwood women's basketball team defeated Arkansas at Monticello 80-57 on Monday afternoon in Monticello, Ark.
 
Lindenwood shot 52.6 percent in the game as four players tallied double-digit points.  The Lady Lions outrebounded the Blossoms 48-24 and shared the ball for 19 assists.  Kallie Bildner registered her third double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds including 14 points and 10 rebounds in the second half alone.  Charisse Williams dropped 16 points with four assists and two steals while Gabby Walker posted 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.  Jerricah Butler had a career-day and almost tallied a double-double with her 10 points and seven rebounds.  Butler added two assists and one steal to her stat line.
 
Arkansas at Monticello was the first team on the board to start the game, but Bildner made two free throws to tie the game as it was just 2-2 with eight minutes to go in the opening frame.  Lindenwood played from behind until Butler knocked down a jumper to put the Lady Lions up 7-6.  The Blossoms regained the lead at the 4:22 mark, but it would be their last lead of the quarter.  Williams hit a three-pointer to give the Lady Lions a two-point lead and Lindsay Medlen and Sara Ross hit back to back shots to put Lindenwood up 14-8 with 2:19 to go in the first quarter.
 
Arkansas at Monticello clawed all the way back to pull within two points at the end of the first quarter with Lindenwood leading 15-13.  The second quarter was a back-and-forth pace as neither team could pull away by more than three points.  Bildner went on a run of four-consecutive buckets for the Lady Lions.  Williams pitched in with four points in the quarter as the Lady Lions held a slim 31-30 lead at the break.
 
Lindenwood hit the gas in the second half and generated a strong offensive game along with stout defense to gain momentum.  Similar to the first quarter, Arkansas at Monticello jumped out in front and this time held a 34-33 lead at the 7:53 mark.  The Lady Lions put a stop to the Blossoms success by outscoring the Blossoms 6-0 in the next two minutes and thirty seconds.  Lindenwood held a five-point lead at the end of the span, but Arkansas at Monticello put a halt to the run and remained within striking distance for the next two minutes.
 
Williams hit her second three-pointer of the game with 3:25 to go in the third quarter for a much-needed spark.  In the final two minutes, four different Lady Lions scored in a 12-1 run, including a last-second shot by Butler to put Lindenwood up 55-44 heading in to the final quarter of play.
 
The Lady Lions had the best quarter of the game in the final frame after increasing the lead throughout the remaining minutes.  In the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, Bildner scored seven points and Walker tallied four to help extend the Lindenwood lead to 68-50.  The Lady Lions powered through the rest of the game and added to the stat line in an 80-57 victory in Monticello, Ark.
 
Head Coach Tony Francis was pleased with the outcome of the game and accredited the success to great preparation and commitment.
 
"I am proud of the (girls') effort tonight during some adverse situations," said Francis.  "I thought we carried over our intensity from last nights' practice and it was just an all-around great team win."  Francis noted the priority of the student-athlete, "now it's time to take finals."

Lindenwood improves to 4-2 on the season while Arkansas at Monticello falls to 3-4 on the year.  The Lady Lions will open their MIAA-season with a 5:30 p.m. game in Hyland Arena on Thursday against Pittsburg State in St. Charles, Mo.