The Lindenwood men's basketball team (7-9, 3-5 GLVC) shot the ball well on Thursday, leading to a 72-60 win over William Jewell (9-8, 5-4 GLVC) inside Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
 
GAME OVERVIEW
Lindenwood jumped out to a strong start on Thursday, as Brandon Suggs scored four of the teams' first eight points.  At the 16:28 mark, Romelo Burrell hit a three pointer to make it an 11-2 advantage.  The Lions maintained continued to play strong defensive basketball to help defend the early lead.  Kevin Caldwell Jr. led all scorers with 25 points, as three points came near the halfway point of the opening half to make it a 24-17 lead.
 
William Jewell pulled within two points near the end of the half, but another three pointer late in the frame put Lindenwood back up by seven points.  The Cardinals were able to register a bucket in the final seconds to bring the game to a 31-26 Lindenwood lead.
 
The Lions lacked efficiency early in the second half, as William Jewell took advantage and tied the game at 35-35 at the 16:38 mark.  Lindenwood quickly regained its lead and slowing piled on to its cushion, as Caldwell Jr. made it a nine-point game just four minutes later.  Caldwell Jr. remained hot from the field, as his bucket at the 10:38 mark gave Lindenwood a double-digit lead.  Less than two minutes later, Trent Champagne hit a long ball to make it a 56-44 advantage for the Lions inside the 10-minute mark.
 
The Cardinals stayed close and pulled within three points with just 4:33 remaining.  Jacoby Ross registered four-straight points to bring the lead back up to seven points, which grabbed enough momentum for the Lions.  Lindenwood closed out the game and hit the necessary shots down the stretch to hang on for the 12-ponint victory at home.
 
Lindenwood forced William Jewell into 12 turnovers, which led to 17 points on the other end of the court.  The Lions secured three double-digit scorers, including Burrell who registered a double-double.  Suggs continues to be the workhorse, as his four offensive rebounds contributed to 10 second-chance points for the Lions.  Lindenwood hit 7-of-15 from behind the arc, and made 15-of-16 from the charity stripe.
 
GAME LEADERS
Kevin Caldwell Jr. (25 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL)
Romelo Burrell (15 PTS, 10 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK)
Brandon Suggs (6 PTS, 11 REB, 1 BLK)
 
QUOTABLE
"I'm really happy for our guys tonight," said head coach Kyle Gerdeman.  "This was one of our best defensive efforts against a really good scoring team.  We are getting a little better, we have a long way to go, but I appreciate what the guys are building as a group with the commitment to getting better on both ends of the floor."
 
UP NEXT
Lindenwood will play host to No. 21 Truman State at 3:00 p.m. inside Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.