Game #25
Lindenwood (8-16, 2-9 OVC)
vs. Tennessee State (7-17, 2-9 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2024
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 3:30 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 1-1
Last Meeting: L, 68-77
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch
KCLC: Radio

Matchup
The Lindenwood men's basketball team ends their four-game home stretch on Saturday, Feb. 10 with a clash against Tennessee Tech at 3:30 p.m. CT. Lindenwood is 1-2 on the currently home stretch and sit at 2-9 in OVC play.

The Lions are coming off a tough defensive battle against Tennessee State on Thursday in a 65-55 loss. Lindenwood forced 17 turnovers against the Tigers and shot a season high 36 foul shots. Keenon Cole also scored 16 points to lead the Lions.

Tennessee Tech currently ranks 11th heading into the week with a 2-9 conference record. Tech is on a six game losing streak in OVC play after winning back-to-back games against SEMO and Southern Indiana. They are 2-11 on the road this season with their lone away win in OVC play coming vs. USI.

During OVC competition, the Lions are averaging 63.4 ppg which ranks 11th among all OVC teams. They are shooting 40.5% during those games which ranks 10th. Throughout the entire season, LU is averaging 65.6 points a game behind the Lion's two leading scorers Keenon Cole (19.0 ppg) and Darius Beane (12.8 ppg). The duo combines for 48.5% 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 has been the leading scorer for the Lions all season averaging 19.0 points in his senior season. The two-year forward has started all 24 games scoring in double-digits in all 24 games, the longest streak since TJ Crockett between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Cole has scored over 20 points 10 times this season including four out of his last six games in OVC play. He scored a career-high 42 points earlier this season in at win at SEMO and was named OVC Player of the Week and USBWA National Player of the Week. Last week he scored 20 points in a win over the Redhawks of SEMO and scored 24 against Western Illinois.

OVC Top Ten
Keenon Cole sits in third place in the OVC this week in scoring while averaging 19.0 points per game. He ranks third in the conference in total points after Thursday's 16-point game with 456. He also ranks ninth in free-throw percentage at 80.6%, 10th in field-goal percentage (43.0%) and third in minutes averaging 34.1. Cole ranks 10th in rebounds averaging 6.3 this season.

Darius Beane can also score for the Lions averaging 12.8 points per game this season ranking just outside the top ten at 15th. His field goal percentage ranks sixth in the OVC at 46.0%. Beane is second in most offensive categories behind Cole.

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 Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles are led by John Pelphrey who enters his fifth season at the helm for Tennessee Tech. He has a career record of 48-99 in his time at Tennessee Tech. His offense is currently scoring 68.3 ppg, ranking eighth in the OVC.

Tennessee Tech has four double-digit scorers being led by Jayvis Harvey who is averaging 15.1 ppg, seventh best in the OVC. He also creates offense averaging 3.3 assists per game which also ranks fifth in the OVC.

David Early averages 14.3 ppg this season while shooting 36.9% from behind the arc. He is one of two players (Harvey) for the Golden Eagles to hit over 30 threes this season. Josiah Davis (11.6) and Rodney Johnson Jr. (10.4) are the other two double-digit scorers.

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 hit the road for the first time in the last two weeks next Thursday as they travel to SIUE on February 15. They will also go to Eastern Illinois next Saturday. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.