Phil Scherer | Managing Editor
From Print [Dec. 1, 2015] | Legacy
After an extended Thanksgiving break, the Lindenwood men’s basketball team will return to the court Tuesday night against Quincy University, looking to continue its hot start to the season.
The Lions enter this game with a record of 4-1, with their most recent victory coming last Tuesday on the road against the University of Illinois-Springfield, 75-54.
The team’s lone loss of the season so far came on Nov. 21, as the Lions fell to UMSL on the road.
Brad Newman sets up the offense in a 82-66 win against Maryville.
One of the key players to the Lions hot start has been senior guard Cory Arentsen, who is averaging more than 23 points per game this season. Arentsen has been efficient shooting the ball so far this year, connecting on more than 50 percent of his attempted shots, including more than 48 percent of his shots from 3-point-range.
Another player looking to continue his hot start is point guard Brad Newman, in his first season with the Lions. Newman has scored 12 points or more in every game this season, and has rarely left the court, playing more than 30 minutes per game on average.
The final key player for the Lions in this matchup will be center Stanislas Heili, who, at 7-foot-1 provides a matchup problem for a Quincy team that does not feature a player taller than 6-foot-8.
Heili has dominated the rebounding game for the Lions to this point in the season, recording 10 or more in each contest, including a season-high 15 against UMSL. In addition, he has been a force on the offensive side of the ball, averaging nearly nine points per game.
Quincy enters this game with a record of 2-3, but have won each of their last two games, against Robert Morris-Springfield and Hannibal-Lagrange. The team has also played a pair of exhibition games against Division I teams. In the two exhibitions, Quincy has kept games competitive against Northwestern, losing 80-64, and against Illinois State, losing 73-63.
The leading scorer for Quincy is senior forward Joseph Tagarelli, who is averaging nearly 18 points per game, making more than 67 percent of the shots he takes. He is also the team’s leading rebounder, averaging nearly seven per game.
Stanislas Heili towers over the defense and finishes a layup in LU’s win against Maryville on Nov. 18.
Other key contributors for Quincy are Evan McGaughey and Thomas Jackson, both of whom are averaging double digit points through five games.
Overall, the Quincy offense has been impressive to this point, scoring more than 80 points per game. The defense has not been nearly as impressive as the team gives up nearly 75 points per game. The defense is a weakness that is likely to be exploited against the Lions, who have proven to be an impressive offensive team this point in the season.
Last season, Lindenwood won 74-73 against Quincy on the road in a game that remained close throughout. Overall, Lindenwood leads the series against Quincy 2-1 dating back to the 2012 season.
