The Lindenwood men's basketball team (3-1) defeat Christian Brothers (0-1) 80-77 on Saturday afternoon from Memphis, Tenn.

GAME OVERVIEW
The first half was tightly contested, as both teams posted similar shooting numbers across the first 20 minutes. Lindenwood worked the ball down low in the first half, as the Lions scored 16 points in the paint. Romelo Burrell led Lindenwood, scoring 12 points in the opening half, while Jacoby Ross chipped in eight. Lindenwood created some separation from the free throw line, knocking down 18-19 as a team, including a perfect 8-8 from Burrell. The Lions took a 37-31 lead into halftime.

The Buccaneers went on a 15-8 run to start the second half, taking a 46-45 lead at the 15:39 mark of the half. The two teams continued to trade baskets across the second 20 minutes of play, as Lindenwood held a slim 64-60 lead at the 8:19 mark of the second half. Christian Brothers went on a brief 7-1 run to take a 67-65 lead with 6:52 remaining in the game. The back-and-forth contest continued, and after a pair of free throws from Ross gave the Lions a 70-69 lead, Brandon Suggs hammered home a dunk, extending the lead to three for Lindenwood at the under four media timeout.

The Buccaneers took a 77-75 lead at the 1:25 mark of second half. On the ensuing possession, Brandon Trimble drained a three pointer, giving the Lions a 78-77 lead with 53 seconds remaining. Lindenwood got a stop on the defensive end on the next possession, and Burrell followed by knocking down a pair from the charity stripe, as Lindenwood picked up the 80-77 victory.

GAME LEADERS
Romelo Burrell (23 points, eight rebounds)
Jacoby Ross (22 points, three assists, 12-12 FTs)
Frazier Ott (10 points, four rebounds)

QUOTABLE
"Good win for us early in the year, especially on the road," said head coach Kyle Gerdeman. "We've got a lot of pieces and a lot of things we need to improve on, but the most important thing is we continue to develop as a team, and I think we have a bunch of guys doing that."

UP NEXT
The Lions return home to take on Westminster on Tuesday. Opening tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. from Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.