The Lindenwood men's basketball team fell to No. 6 Northwest Missouri by a 78-58 score on Saturday afternoon in Maryville, Mo.
 
The defending NCAA Division II National Champions took control of the game in the first 20 minutes when Northwest Missouri outscored the Lions by a 43-18 margin. The Bearcats had a 16-5 run early in the game to take a 20-9 lead midway through the half, and then scored the final 11 points of the period.
 
The Bearcats extended their lead to as much as 35 in the second half, before Lindenwood outscored Northwest Missouri by 15 points for the final 13 minutes of the game.
 
Shooting and rebounding were the difference in the game. Northwest Missouri shot 56.9 percent from the field, compared to 39.3 percent for Lindenwood. Both teams made eight three-pointers, but the Bearcats attempted 13 fewer shots. Northwest Missouri won the rebounding battle by 11 boards, and had a 40-22 edge in points in the paint.
 
Lindenwood was led by Chandler Diekvoss who scored 19 points, and he made eight-of-12 shots from the field. Adam Pohlman and Brad Newman each had nine points. Luka Radosevic, who started for the first time in his career, and Diekvoss each had five rebounds to lead the team. Pohlman had seven assists, three steals, and no turnovers in the game.
 
Lindenwood falls to 14-9 on the season and 6-8 in MIAA play. The Lions are off until next Saturday when they host Lincoln at 3:30 p.m. at Hyland Arena.