Game #24
Lindenwood (10-13, 5-7 OVC)
at UT Martin (9-14, 5-7 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Thursday, Feb. 6th, 2025
Location: Martin, Tenn.
Venue: Kathleen and Tom Elam Center
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 2-3
Last Meeting: W, 82-81
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch

Matchup
Lindenwood men's basketball ends the 2024-25 regular season with six of their last eight games on the road including this week when they start their road trip at UT Martin on Thursday, Feb. 6th at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Lions went 1-1 last week at home including a 17-point come from behind win over SIUE on Thursday.

During their last game at home, Lindenwood suffered a 76-70 loss against Eastern Illinois during their Coaches vs. Cancer game. Graduate student Markeith Browning II scored a career-high 27 points against the Panthers while shooting 11-17 from the field including a season-high three threes made. He also added seven rebounds. Reggie Bass also chipped in 14 points after scoring a season-best 20 points over SIUE. Bass also dished out a team-high five assists. Defensively, Aly Tounkara added three blocks while Lindenwood as a team added eight blocks.

Nathan Johnson Jr. helped the Lions over the Skyhawks earlier this season at home after hitting a game-winning three with five seconds remaining to give the Lions an 82-81 victory. UT Martin still holds the all-time series record against Lindenwood at 3-2. Anias Futrell scored 26 points against UTM earlier this season including 24 points in the first half. He hit six three-pointers in the win while LU shot 50.0% from the field as a team.

After 12 games through OVC play, Lindenwood has averaged 67.5 points per game while shooting 40.6% from the field. Futrell is the eighth leading scorer in OVC play after averaging 14.7 ppg shooting 34.3% from the floor and 24.7% from three. Browning II also ranks seventh in OVC points averaging 14.8 ppg. 

UT Martin is coached by first-year head coach Jeremy Shulman who has led the Skyhawks to a 9-14 record and a 5-7 OVC record. Shulman spent 14 seasons at Eastern Florida State College where he had 346 career victories and posted 11 conference championships.

Player to Watch
Markeith Browning II has been a dynamic play-maker for the Lions as he enters Thursday's contest as the Lions' leading scorer averaging 13.2 points per game. This also ranks 14th in the OVC. The graduate student is shooting 37.5% from the floor while going 61-86 at the foul line.

He is averaging a team-best 3.6 assists per game and has had 14 games this season where he has dished out at least three assists including eight against SEMO. Browning ranks tied for sixth in the OVC in steals per game (1.7) and has a total of 39 steals after posting seven vs. TTU. He is coming off a career-day scoring 27 points against Eastern Illinois which marked a new career-high.

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 UT Martin
The Skyhawks come into Thursday's game with a 9-14 record and a 5-7 OVC record. They have lost four straight games and have a 6-2 home record including a 3-2 home OVC record. They currently average the second most points in the OVC scoring 76.6 ppg but allow 73.2 ppg, the third highest in the conference.

Tarence Guinyard leads the Skyhawks in scoring averaging 15.5 ppg while shooting 44.0% from the field and 32.7% from three. Josue Grullon also averages 14.7 ppg for UTM while Vladimer Salaridze averages 11.0 ppg and 8.3 rpg.

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 continues their trip in Tennessee when they travel to Nashville, Tenn. to take on Tennessee State on Saturday, Feb. 8th at 3:30 p.m. CT. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.