When Lindenwood and Central Missouri meet in men's basketball, it usually turns into a defensive battle, and Saturday afternoon at Hyland Arena was no exception. The Lions were able to hang on for their third straight win over the Mules with a 56-52 victory.
 
The first half was a game of runs by both teams, with Lindenwood having 9-0 and 10-0 runs in the half, and the Mules having streaks of seven and eight straight points. The Lions led by as much as 15, and they took a 29-23 advantage into halftime.
 
In the final 20 minutes, Central Missouri had the lead for just 16 seconds when a layup gave them a 35-34 advantage with 13:01 left in the game. Lindenwood went on a quick 7-0 run after that to take the lead back, highlighted by a three-pointer from Zac Haese with just under 10 minutes left in the game.
 
The Mules came back and tied the game at 48 with 3:54 left, but Chandler Diekvoss hit a three-pointer on Lindenwood's next possession. The Lions defense took over after that, as Central Missouri made just one of its final eight shots from the field. Offensively, Adam Pohlman made a layup with 50 seconds left to put the Lions up 53-50, and Jackson Price and Brad Newman made three free throws in the final 22 seconds to seal the win.
 
Lindenwood made four more three-pointers and four more free throws in the game to get the victory in a game that was close statistically, including both teams having 29 rebounds and seven turnovers. Central Missouri shot better from the field, at 43.5 percent to 38.3 percent, but Lindenwood held the Mules to just 21.4 percent shooting from three-point range.
 
Chandler Diekvoss recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jackson Price had 14 points, and Brad Newman finished with 10. Diekvoss and Price combined for 23 of the team's 29 points in the first half, and the team received balanced scoring in the second half with seven different players getting in the scoring column.
 
Drew Moore had eight rebounds and tied for the team-high with three assists and one steal. Adam Pohlman also collected three assists and stole the ball once.
 
Lindenwood improves to 15-11 overall and 7-10 in MIAA play. The Lions face nationally-ranked Northwest Missouri next Thursday at Hyland Arena as they start their final week of the regular season.