Game #28
Lindenwood (13-14, 8-8 OVC)
at Little Rock (17-10, 11-5 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Thursday, Feb. 20th, 2025
Location: Little Rock, Mo.
Venue: Jack Stephens Center
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 2-3
Last Meeting: L, 46-79
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch

Matchup
Lindenwood men's basketball begins their final road stretch of the season with four straight away games starting with a match-up against Little Rock on Thursday, Feb. 20th at 7:00 p.m. CT. The Lions are coming off two straight wins to end their home season against Morehead State and Southern Indiana. LU is one of three OVC teams with an 8-8 record heading into the week.

It was an overtime victory for the Lions during their final game inside Hyland Arena against Southern Indiana after an 81-78 final score. Reggie Bass nailed a corner three with five seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. The OVC Player and Freshman of the Week Jadis Jones scored a career-high 27 points while shooting 10-14 from the floor and 7-9 from the foul line. Bass and Jones both averaged over 20.0 ppg last week in the Lions' two wins. Jordan Wildy on senior day posted his first-career double-double with 12 points and 12 points while graduate student Markeith Browning II added 14 points, 6 assists and four rebounds.

Lindenwood hosted Little Rock earlier this season inside Hyland Arena which resulted in a 78-46 loss marking the lowest total points by the Lions this season. Wildy was the lone Lion to score in double-figures with 10 points. Little Rock held Lindenwood to 27.4% shooting from the field.

After 16 games through OVC play, Lindenwood has averaged 68.3 points per game while shooting 40.8% from the field. Four different Lions are averaging at least 13.0 points in OVC play making them the only team to have four top 20 scorers in the conference.

Little Rock is coached by seventh-year head coach Darrell Walker who had led the Trojans to a 17-10 overall record this season while going 11-5 in conference play. LR went 1-1 last weekend at home including a loss against SEMO and a win against Tennessee Tech.

Player to Watch
 Freshman Jadis Jones is the Lions' third leading scorer this season after averaging 12.2 ppg. Jones is shooting 54.8% from the floor this season while ranking second on the team in made field-goals with 121. An active rebounder, Jones leads the team in rebounds per game averaging 6.1 per game.

Jones had a career day vs. Southern Indiana after scoring a career-high 27 points in an overtime win last weekend. Jones has scored in double-figures 18 times this season and the Lions are 10-8 in those games. He is the reigning OVC Player and Freshman of the Week after averaging 21.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in two home wins.

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
The leading defense in the OVC, Little Rock is holding opponents to 65.4 points per game which is the lowest in the OVC and ranks tied for 31st in the country. They also lead the OVC in blocks per game averaging 5.11 (20th in the country).

Four different Trojans are currently averaging over 10.0 points per game including Johnathan Lawson who ranks sixth in the OVC in points per game averaging 15.7. An effective shooter, Lawson ranks 10th in the country in three-point percentage shooting at a 45.2%.

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 continue their road trip back to Missouri when they take on in-state rival Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, Feb. 22nd at 3:45 p.m. CT. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.