The Lindenwood men's basketball team (9-9, 5-5 GLVC) pulled out a thrilling victory on Thursday night by a final of 73-72 over Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo.
 
OVERVIEW
Lindenwood a 15-8 lead after a three-point bucket by Romelo Burrell just six minutes into the game.  Southwest Baptist continued to stay close, but the Lions increased their lead to nine points at the 5:16 mark of the first half.  The Lions continued to hold a slim lead, as neither team could find the edge to create big run.  In the final three minutes, just one field goal was made by either team, as free throws concluded the half with a 33-27 Lindenwood lead.
 
After scoring seven points and grabbing seven boards in the first 20 minutes, Burrell started the second half with a pair of free throws.  Less than a minute into the half, Southwest Baptist grabbed momentum on a three pointer, which led to a tie game at the 16:53 mark.  The Bearcats began to step on the gas and took a 41-37 advantage, but the Lions quickly flipped the court with a three pointer by Jacoby Ross.
 
The two squads battled back and forth, and the Lions looked to be pulling away after Brandon Trimble knocked down a pair of three-point shots in less than a minutes to make it a 58-51 lead.  Southwest Baptist shot well down the stretch, and made key stops to keep it a tight game.  The Bearcats made it a one-point game with 22 seconds remaining, but the Lions hit the necessary free throws to hold on for the 73-72 victory on the road.
 
Lindenwood made 15-of-16 from the charity stripe, as Burrell (6-of-6) and Ross (5-of-5) combined for 11 makes.  Trimble was hot shooting the ball, as he was 6-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from three-point range.  Ross led the team with 24 points and pulled down five boards, while Burrell dropped 17 points and snagged nine boards.  Caldwell Jr. had an off night shooting the rock, but he dished out four assists, compiled one steal, and registered one block.
 
GAME LEADERS
Jacoby Ross (24 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST)
Brandon Trimble (18 PTS, 6-of-9 FG, 4-of-7 3FG)
Romelo Burrell (17 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK, 1 AST, 1 STL)
 
QUOTABLE
"That was a great effort for a big GLVC road win," said head coach Kyle Gerdeman.  "These guys never stop playing and I give these guys a ton of credit due to their effort and attitude.  I couldn't be more proud of them."
 
UP NEXT
Lindenwood will stay out on the road for a 3:00 p.m. tipoff with Rockhurst on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.