The Lindenwood men's basketball team had an all-around team effort as it won its conference opener on Thursday night in Pittsburg, Kan. The Lions kept their composure late in the game, and won the contest by a 90-85 score.
 
Lindenwood never trailed in the second half, but the Gorillas tied the game at 69 with just over seven minutes remaining. A three-point play by Brad Newman put the Lions up for good two possessions later, but the Lions still had to make some clutch plays down the stretch. The biggest came with Lindenwood up 81-78 when Dominique Dobbs took a charge with 1:04 remaining. The Lions hit nine free throws after that point to seal the victory.
 
Lindenwood made six fewer field goals in the game, but had a big advantage in both three-pointers and free throws. The Lions made 12-of-28 three-pointers in the game, five more makes than the Gorillas. Lindenwood also made 24-of-37 free throws, compared to Pittsburg State shooting just 12-of-19 from the free-throw line.
 
Adam Pohlman finished the game with 10 assists, and he turned the ball over just one time. Seven of those assists led to three-pointers, and the other three led to two layups and a dunk. Pohlman is just the third Lion with 10 or more assists in a game, joining Alex Bazzell, who did it five times, and Joey Parker. The 10 assists tied him for fourth in program history for assists in a game.
 
Newman finished the contest with a career-high 27 points. He made four three-pointers, was three-for-three in two-point field goals, and made nine-of-11 free throws. Twenty-one of his points came in the final 20 minutes, including 12 after Pittsburg State tied the game in the second half.
 
Chandler Diekvoss had a double-double with 17 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Max Meylor, in his first start of the season, had 14 points, including making four three-pointers. Dominique Dobbs finished with 11 points, and both Dobbs and Meylor pulled down seven rebounds apiece. Jackson Price led the team with eight points off the bench, and TJ Crockett made five-of-six free throws in his first MIAA game.
 
Lindenwood improves to 7-1 overall, and it won its conference opener for the third straight year. The Lions stay on the road this weekend for a Saturday contest at Missouri Southern.