Game #21
Lindenwood (9-11, 4-5 OVC)
vs. Little Rock (12-7, 6-2 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Saturday, Jan. 25th, 2025
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Robert F. Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 3:30 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 2-2
Last Meeting: L, 73-82
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch

Matchup
Lindenwood men's basketball continues their home stretch on Saturday when they take on the Trojans of Little Rock inside Hyland Arena at 3:30 p.m. CT. After Thursday's Ohio Valley Conference results, Lindenwood now ranks seventh in the conference with a 4-5 record. Little Rock ranks second with a 6-2 OVC record.

As Lindenwood returned home on Thursday, the Lions picked up a 72-68 victory over the Redhawks of SEMO. It marked the third straight victory for the Lions over their in-state rival. Lindenwood had four double-digit scorers in the win including 20 points from St. Louis native Anias Futrell. He shot 7-14 from the field while adding three of LU's four three-pointers made. Jordan Wildy made an impact in his return to the court after scoring a career-high 17 points on 6-9 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. Lindenwood posted a season-high 35 attempts from the charity stripe in the win.

Coming into Saturday's game, the current all-time series between these two schools is 2-2. Lindenwood in their first Division I season swept Little Rock before LR returned the favor last season. Nathan Johnson Jr. scored 10 points in Lindenwood's last meeting vs. the Trojans.

To start OVC play, Lindenwood has averaged 69.9 points per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. Their points per game in OVC competitions ranks sixth. Futrell is the third leading scorer in OVC play after averaging 17.4 ppg shooting 38.1% from the floor and 34.0% from three. Browning II also ranks 11th in OVC points averaging 14.8 ppg. 

Little Rock is led by seventh-year head coach Darrell Walker who has pushed the Trojans to a 6-2 OVC start. He is the only active coach with head coaching experience in the NBA, WNBA, Division I and Division II levels. In 2023, LR's first year in the league, Walker was named the OVC Coach of the Year.

Player to Watch
Markeith Browning II has been a dynamic play-maker for the Lions as he enters Saturday's contest as the Lions' second leading scorer averaging 13.0 points per game. The graduate student is shooting 36.2% from the floor while going 54-74 at the foul line.

He is averaging a team-best 3.7 assists per game and has had 12 games this season where he has dished out at least three assists including eight against SEMO. Browning ranks second in the OVC in steals per game (1.9) and has a total of 37 steals after posting seven vs. TTU.

OVC Preseason Rankings
In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men's basketball coaches and communication directors, Little Rock has been picked the preseason favorites for the 2024-25 season. Lindenwood was picked to finish ninth receiving 67 points, their most since joining the OVC.

Little Rock picked up 20 of the 22 first-place votes in the conference. Western Illinois (172 points), SIUE (151 points, 2 first-place votes) and Tennessee State (134) rounded out the top four in the OVC. Defending OVC Champions Morehead State were selected to finish fifth this season followed by Eastern Illinois, SEMO, Southern Indiana, Lindenwood, UT Martin and Tennessee Tech.

The Ohio Valley Conference also selected two 'Players To Watch" from each OVC school to start the upcoming season. Talton and newcomer Browning were tabbed as Lindenwood's players to watch for the 2024-25 season. 

Scouting Little Rock
A defensive team, Little Rock is allowing the second fewest points per game to their opponents at 67.6 per game. They head into Saturday's match-up with a 6-2 OVC record, the second best in the conference. They are schedule to play against EIU in a make-up game on Monday in Hyland Arena at 2:00 p.m. CT.

The Trojans are led by Johnathan Lawson who has averaged 15.9 points per game this season making 19 starts. He is shooting 44.9% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range. Mwani Wilkinson is also averaging 13.9 points per game and a team-high 7.1 rebounds.

Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman
Kyle Gerdeman is entering his sixth year at the helm of the Lindenwood men's basketball program in 2024-25.

During the 2023-24 season, Gerdeman coached Keenon Cole to second team all-conference honors. The Streamwood, Ill.native averaged 18.1 points per game, which ranked fourth in the OVC. Cole poured in a career-high 42 points in a 74-68 road win over SEMO on January 11. For his performance, Cole was tabbed the OVC Player of the Week as well as being recognized as one of the Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week. 
 
In 2022-23, Lindenwood earned a spot in the OVC Championship tournament after a wild ending to the year.  The Lions took down in-state rival Southeast Missouri State in double-overtime to keep their postseason hopes alive.  In the final game of the regular season, Lindenwood needed a win to move on, and Kevin Caldwell Jr. answered the call with a game-winning bucket in overtime.
 
Lindenwood led the OVC in free-throw percentage (75.6), and was second in the OVC in three-point percentage (39.1) during the 2022-23 season.  Chris Childs held the top spot in the league with a free-throw percentage of 92.7, while Cole was atop the OVC with a three-point percentage of 51.0 percent.  The Lions clawed their way to three overtime wins on the season.  Lindenwood also posted two comeback victories from 20 points down, and another 17-point comeback during OVC play.

Up Next
Lindenwood will return to Hyland Arena next Thursday to play the Cougars of SIUE for the second time this season starting at 7:30 p.m. CT. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.