The Lindenwood men’s basketball team defeated East-West University by a score of 102-45, using a big first half, and an even bigger second half to put up the most points the team has scored all season.
The win was the most points Lindenwood had scored in a win since they scored 105 over SEMO in 2022-23. Five different Lions put up double-digit points in the win, and 11 of the 13 that saw time on the court scored at least one basket. Anias Futrell led Lindenwood with 15 points, narrowly edging out teammate Clayton Jackson who scored 14. Joining the duo with over 10 points was Jalen Bouknight with 13, Colin Ruffin with 12, and Jaylon McDaniel with 11.
In the first half of play, Lindenwood put up 47 points and allowed just 14 to the Phantoms defensively. The team shot very well in the half, successfully making over half of their attempted two-point and free-throw shots, and just over 40% of their three-point attempts. The defensive side of the ball was working very well for Lindenwood as well, forcing 22 turnovers against East-West, leading to 22 points scored. The Lions would put up 12 points offensively before allowing the Phantoms to get on the scoreboard and would extend that lead to 23 points before allowing them to make their second successful field goal of the game. Futrell was able to put up 13 of his team-leading 15 points in the first half, Markeith Browning had eight, Nathan Johnson Jr and Ruffin each had five, Jadis Jones four, McDaniel added three, Bouknight, Jordan Wildy, and Clayton Jackson two.
In the second half of play, Lindenwood rested most of their starters, allowing playing time for the bench players. However, this did not stop their potent offense, as the team put up 55 points in the second half. They did lose a bit of touch defensively, allowing the Phantoms to tack on 31 points. The Lions shot well over 60% on their free throws and field goal attempts and had a 45% completion rate on their three-point attempts. The first six scoring opportunities of the half were scored by both McDaniels and Jackson. McDaniels finished the half with eight points score, while Jackson put up 12. The team then added four points on four consecutive free throws, made by Jones and Johnson with two each. Johnson would have four points in the half, with Jones chipping in with just the two on the free throws. Futrell would then finish off his night with his final two points, coming on a fast break dunk midway through the final half of play. Lindenwood would go on a bit of a tip in scoring spree from there, scoring four consecutive points in that manner. Two of those points were credited to Aly Tounkara, who scored five total points in the game, each in the final half. Bouknight added eight points in the final half of play, setting him up with the third most on the team.
After the blowout win, the Lions now move to 3-5 on the season, and are a perfect 2-0 on the home court at the Hyland Arena. The team now heads to Mississippi to play Ole Miss on Dec. 7, and will return home on Dec. 10 to play Harris-Stowe State University. That game is slated to tip off at 6 p.m. that evening. It kicks off a four game homestand for the team, where they also welcome IU Indy, Tennessee Tech and Western Illinois to campus.
