Game #18
Lindenwood (7-10, 1-3 OVC)
vs. SIUE (10-8, 3-2 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 0-2
Last Meeting: L, 58-63
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch
Radio: Listen

Matchup
The Lindenwood men's basketball team returns home to Hyland Arena on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. CT against SIUE. Lindenwood is looking for their first home conference win of the season as they take on the Cougars. LU is 1-3 in OVC play so far this season.

The Lions are coming off a 1-1 week last week which including their first OVC win of the season at SEMO by a final score of 74-68. Keenon Cole scored a career-high 42 points in that game which helped him earn OVC Player of the Week and USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.

SIUE currently ranks third in the conference with a 3-2 OVC record and a 10-8 overall record. The Cougars are one of two teams in the conference looking for their first away win of the season. SIUE took down Morehead State last Saturday by a final score of 61-48.

In OVC play, the Lions are averaging 63.3 ppg in four games this season and are shooting 42.3% from the field which ranks seventh in conference only stats. On the season, they are scoring 66.5 ppg behind the Lions' two leading scorers Keenon Cole (18.9) and Darius Beane (13.2). This duo combines for 48.3% of Lindenwood's scoring.

To begin the season, the Lions were picked to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference as they begin their second Division I season in program history under head coach Kyle Gerdeman.

Player to Watch
Keenon Cole is the reigning OVC player of the Week after averaging 31.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg against SEMO and Tennessee State. He was also one of five players throughout the country to be named a USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.

Cole had an all-time performance at SEMO scoring 42 points on 13-23 shooting while hitting 13-16 from the foul line. His 42 points are the most by any Division I player this season. Cole also became the first Lion in their Division I history to score 40 points in a game.

In OVC history, he is the first player since Terry Taylor (Austin Peay) in 2019 to score 42 points in a game. Cole is also the first player since Jr Clay from Tennessee State to score 40 in a game (Feb. 28, 2023).

After dropping 42 on Thursday, he followed that with a 20 points performance on Saturday at TSU where he went 15-16 from the foul line. He is averaging 23.0 ppg in OVC play which leads the conference. He has also scored in double digits in every game this season, the longest streak in program history since TJ Crockett during the 2020-21 season.

OVC Top Ten
Keenon Cole maintains his place as the second leading scorer in the OVC while averaging 18.9 points per game. He trails only Jordan Sears from UT Martin in points this season. He also ranks eighth in free-throw percentage at 79.8% and fifth in minutes averaging 33.2.

Darius Beane can also score for the Lions averaging 13.2 points per game this season ranking just outside the top ten at 17. His field goal percentage ranks sixth in the OVC at 48.4%. Beane is second in most offensive categories behind Cole.

Colin Ruffin is averaging 1.4 steals per game as a freshman this season which ranks sixth in the conference. He is the only Lindenwood player with over 20 steals this season (24).

OVC Preseason Rankings
In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men's basketball coaches and communication directors, Morehead State has been picked the preseason favorites for the 2023-24 season. It marks the second-straight year the Eagles have been tabbed the favorites.
 
The Eagles picked up 20 of 22 first-place votes (teams could not vote for themselves); Tennessee State picked up the other votes.  MSU tallied 200 points and was followed by SIUE (162), who was picked second. Tennessee State (153) was picked third and followed by UT Martin (149), Southeast Missouri (124), Tennessee Tech (120), Little Rock (85), Western Illinois (80), Southern Indiana (63), Lindenwood (40) and Eastern Illinois (34).

Scouting SIUE
The Cougars are led by Brian Barone who is in his fifth season at SIUE. Last season, Barone led SIUE to their first winning season since transitioning to Division I. He has a career record of 57-83 in his five seasons at the helm.

SIUE has multiple options on the offensive end with three double-digit scorers, but are led by Shamar Wright who averages 15.5 ppg. Wright is currently shooting 47.6% from the field and 37.3% from downtown. He has scored in double figures 15 times this season including a season high 29 vs. North Park.

Damarco Minor is also having a good junior season averaging 13.4 ppg and 8.8 rpg. He has six double-doubles this season including posting 24 points and 13 rebounds in a win against Morehead State on Saturday.

Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman
Kyle Gerdeman enters his fifth year at the helm of the Lindenwood men's basketball program in the 2023-24 season. The Lions concluded their inaugural Division I season in 2022-23 where Gerdeman led the Lions to an appearances in the OVC Tournament after a wild finish to the season.

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).  Chris Childs held the top spot in the league with a free-throw percentage of 92.7, while Keenon 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
The Lions continue their two-game home stand on Saturday, January 20 at 3:30 p.m. as they take on the Panthers of Eastern Illinois at Hyland Arena. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.