The Lindenwood men's basketball team (6-7, 6-7 GLVC) lost 95-76 to Rockhurst (7-6, 7-6 GLVC) on Thursday night in Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
 
GAME OVERVIEW
The Hawks jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead in the first three minutes, forcing the Lions to claw back.  Romelo Burrell hit a three-pointer at the 8:37 mark to bring the Lions within one, and Devion Harris knocked down a pair of free throws a few minutes later to take a 23-22 lead.  Harris grabbed five strong rebounds in the first half, and fought hard for his six points.  On the defensive end, Harris tallied two steals as his efforts sparked the Lions.
 
Burrell went off for 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field in the first half.  TJ Crockett struggled to find the bottom of the net, but handed out three assists to go along with his seven points.  Lindenwood was able to force the Hawks into nine turnovers, resulting in 14 points in the opening 20 minutes of play.  The Lions overcame a 10-point deficit to hold a three-point lead at the half.
 
Lindenwood played strong to open the second half, as a three-pointer by Brandon Trimble put the Lions up 48-43.  Rockhurst wasted no time in responding, and the Hawks found a surge on offense.  Lindenwood struggled to slow down the Hawks in the paint, as the Lions were outscored 44-30 in the paint.  Rockhurst scored 64 points in the second half to steal a win on the road, 95-76.
 
The Lions have been banged up, and the missing depth showed as the Hawks scored 45 points from the bench, while the Lions notched just four points.  Rockhurst was on fire from deep, as the Hawks knocked down 11 three pointers on 50 percent shooting from behind the arc, and 62.1 percent from the field.  Crockett compiled 18 points in the second half on 6-of-9 shooting.  Kevin Caldwell Jr. contributed eight strong points in the final 20 minutes, as he also dished out three assists.
 
QUOTABLE
"I tip my hat the Rockhurst," said head coach Kyle Gerdeman.  "They came on the road and played well, and handled their business.  We have to move forward quickly and get ready for Southwest Baptist on Saturday.  Our main focus is on overall improvement offensively and defensively, and see where that takes us."
 
GAME LEADERS
TJ Crockett (25 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK)
Romelo Burrell (17 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK)
Brandon Trimble (11 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL)
 
UP NEXT
Lindenwood will host Southwest Baptist on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.