The Lindenwood men's basketball team (8-9, 4-5 GLVC) upset No. 21 Truman State (12-4, 6-2 GLVC) by a final of 78-68 on Saturday inside Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
 
GAME OVERVIEW
Lindenwood came out on a mission to start Saturday's game, as Jacoby Ross drained a three pointer off of a turnover to give the Lions an early 5-0 lead.  The Lions played quality defensive basketball, which paid dividends on the scoreboard.  Trent Champagne gave Lindenwood a 10-point lead after his three-pointer at the 11:13 mark made it a 23-13 ballgame.  Truman State slowly chipped into the Lindenwood lead, but the Lions spread out the scoring and the offense was firing on all cylinders.
 
Ross and Brandon Trimble made key field goals and free throws in the final 2:30 to help the Lions maintain a 42-37 lead at the half.  Ross lead all scorers at the break with 11 points, while Kevin Caldwell Jr. tallied seven points.  Lindenwood took care of the ball in the first 20 minutes with just one turnover, while the defense forced the Bulldogs into six giveaways.
 
Lindenwood was pure from the field in to begin the second half, as Caldwell Jr. made a pair of three pointers within the first five minutes.  Truman State slowly gained momentum, and a big three-point bucket at the 11:59 mark made it a tie game at 53-53.  Ross made the tie a short one, as he scored the next five points to put the Lions back ahead.  The Bulldogs kept a dangerous distance, but the Lions continued to play their game.
 
Lindenwood made the necessary shots down the stretch, and held on for the 78-68 upset win over No. 21 Truman State.  Overall, the Lions took great care of the ball on both ends of the floor.  Lindenwood committed just six turnovers, while forcing the Bulldogs into nine hiccups.  The Lions shot an outstanding 47.4 percent from the floor, including 7-of-21 from behind the arc.  Defensively, the Lions accumulated six steals and four blocks, as Romelo Burrell led the team in both categories with three each.  The Lions had four players register double-digit points, including Burrell who tallied another double-double.
 
GAME LEADERS
Jacoby Ross (20 PTS, 2 REB, 2 STL, 2 AST)
Romelo Burrell (15 PTS, 12 REB, 3 STL, 3 BLK, 2 AST)
Kevin Caldwell Jr. (17 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST)

QUOTABLE
"What a great 40-minute effort we had tonight," said head coach Kyle Gerdeman.  "I'm just really happy our guys get to enjoy this one, they absolutely deserve it.  They've continued to work and grow as a group everyday, and I think when you do that, you keep yourself in a position to win games like today."
 
UP NEXT
Lindenwood will head to Bolivar, Mo. on Thursday to take on Southwest Baptist starting at 7:30 p.m.