The Lindenwood men's basketball team could not keep up with the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II on Saturday afternoon in Hyland Arena as the Lions fell to Northwest Missouri by an 89-64 score.
 
The Lions kept the game close for 13 minutes, as they trailed just 33-28 with 7:15 left in the first half. Lindenwood went on a scoring drought though, going nearly five minutes without a field goal. Northwest Missouri took advantage by going on a 12-0 run that essentially put the game away. The Bearcats finished the half with a 50-34 lead. They shot 71.4 percent from the field in the half, while holding the Lions to a 40.9 mark.
 
Northwest Missouri continued to be hot in the second half, which kept Lindenwood from attempting any comeback. The Bearcats ended the game shooting 67.9 percent from the field, including 46.7 percent from three-point range. Lindenwood's lone shooting advantage came at the free-throw line where it hit 19-of-23 shots.
 
LJ McIntosh led Lindenwood with 19 points. He was five-of-10 from the field, three-of-six from three-point range, and a perfect six-of-six from the free-throw line. Chandler Diekvoss had 16 points, and also had team-highs in assists and steals.
 
Dominique Dobbs led the Lions with five rebounds, and he had seven points. Landon Mills came off the bench to score eight points in eight minutes. Another bright spot was the return of Max Meylor, who saw 11 minutes of playing time and scored five points.
 
Lindenwood falls to 16-10 overall and 6-8 in the MIAA. The Lions have a non-conference game on Tuesday evening when they host Robert Morris-Peoria at 7 p.m.