The Lindenwood Lions men’s basketball team made its first ever appearance on national television a memorable one on Thursday night.
Lindenwood exploded out of the gates to a 27-point halftime lead and held on for an 88-76 victory over SEMO in an Ohio Valley Conference game in Cape Girardeau. The game was televised on ESPNU.
Playing in their fourth season as a NCAA Division I school, the Lions put their best foot forward in their first appearance on the national stage. They raced out to a 26-7 lead in the first eight minutes of the game. They built a 45-18 halftime lead and held off a furious SEMO rally in the second half to improve its record to 11-5 and 5-2 in OVC play.
St. Louisan Anias Futrell led the way for Lindenwood with a game-high 28 points. The former McCluer High standout was eight of 13 from the field. He also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Forwards Dontrez Williams and Jadis Jones also shined in their homecoming to the Southeast part of the state, where they were former prep stars. Williams, a former Sikeston standout, had 22 points and seven steals. Jones, a former star at New Madrid Central, finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Lindenwood returns to action on Saturday when they visit first-place Tennessee-Martin. Tip off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.