complete game notes in .pdf format
Storyline
Lindenwood will take to the court for three conference games this week, including two road games against last year’s HAAC Champions and the current 2009-10 HAAC leader.
The week begins with a home contest versus Avila on Monday evening. Lindenwood then travels to Central Methodist on Thursday to face an Eagle team that has not lost a conference game yet this season. Saturday, the Lions take on perennial conference power MidAmerica Nazarene in Olathe, Kan.
A quarter of the way through the conference schedule, the HAAC standings are bunched up, with seven teams within one game of third-place. The Lions are tied for third with a 3-2 overall record, two games behind Central Methodist.
Last Time Out
Lindenwood went 1-1 last week after opposite offensive performances. The Lions shot 33.3 percent in a 64-50 loss to Missouri Valley. Two days later, Lindenwood shot 50 percent in an 80-69 victory over Graceland.
In the Missouri Valley contest, Lindenwood was led by its starting post players, as Toriano Adams and Brett Thompson combined to shoot 13-of-16 from the field. Thompson finished with 17 points and Adams had 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Lions’ guards regained their shooting touch against Graceland, especially Richard Rose who scored 27 points and missed just two shot attempts. Joey Parker and Thompson each had 13 points and Adams had 13 rebounds.
Rebounding Margin
Lindenwood leads the HAAC and is in the top 20 in the nation with a +7.9 rebounding margin. The Lions have won the rebounding battle in nine games this year, including seven out of the last eight contests. In that span, Lindenwood is outrebounding opponents by 13.5 boards a game.
Toriano Adams leads the HAAC and is seventh in the nation with 10.6 rebounds a game. He has 10 games with double figure boards, including four of the last five.
Low Post Shooting
When the Lions get the ball into the low post, they usually comes away with points. Its top three post players, Toriano Adams, Brett Thompson, and Shane Williams are shooting a combined 59.9 percent from the field. Adams and Williams are both over 60 percent shooting for the year.
Home Court Advantage
Lindenwood is 4-1 at home this season and 4-3 in true road games.
At home, the Lions are averaging 76.8 points a game and are shooting 46.6 percent from the field. In road games, the team is putting up 68.1 points a game and shooting 43.7 percent from the field.
Newcomer’s Impact
Brett Thompson is beginning to make a bigger impact as Lindenwood becomes used to him being in the lineup. Last week, the transfer from Saint Louis University averaged 15.0 points a game and shot nearly 70 percent from the field. His height has also been a strong defensive presence, including blocking five shots last time out against Graceland.
20+ Scoring
Richard Rose had his team-high third game with over 20 points last time out against Graceland. Rose poured in 27 points on eight-of-10 shooting from the field and seven-of-seven from the free throw line.
On the year, Rose is fourth in the HAAC with 16.6 points a game and leads the conference with 84 made free throws.
Free Throw Shooting
Free throw attempts continue to predict whether the Lions win or loss. Lindenwood is 11-0 when shooting 21 or more free throws and 0-4 when shooting 20 or less.
Opponent’s Shooting
Lindenwood is in the top 25 in the NAIA in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to .407 percent shooting on the year. Seven times, the Lions have held teams under 40 percent shooting, including three out of the last four contests.
Versus Ranked Teams
Lindenwood is 3-1 this year against nationally ranked teams. Central Methodist will likely be the Lions’ next test against a ranked team, as the Eagles could move into the top 25 when the new poll is released.
Last Year
Lindenwood went 1-1 last year against Avila. The Lions fell on the road in overtime, but won 79-68 in St. Charles.
The Lions were 0-2 against Central Methodist, including a five-point loss on the Eagles’ home court.
MidAmerica Nazarene defeated Lindenwood three times last year, including 90-82 in the HAAC Semifinals.
Scouting Avila
Avila comes to St. Charles with an 8-4 overall record. The team is 1-2 in conference action but has not played a HAAC game in nearly a month due to weather cancellations.
The Eagles are second in the HAAC in scoring offense by scoring over 73 points a game. The team is in the middle of the pack defensively by allowing 71.4 points a contest, and leads the HAAC in steals per game with 9.3.
Adam Short leads the team with 14.6 points a game, just 0.1 more than teammate Alex Marler. Marler is also second on the team in rebounding with 6.7 a game, while Kevin Booker leads the team with 7.0 boards a game.
Head coach of Avila is Anthony Hall, who has been at the school in some capacity since 1999.
Scouting Central Methodist
Central Methodist went just 6-4 in non-conference action but has clicked since HAAC play has started, winning its last five games. Four of those HAAC wins have been road victories.
The Eagles win with the top defense in the conference which ranks ninth in the nation by allowing just 61.7 points a game. Offensively the team is eighth in the NAIA in field goal percentage and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio.
The team is led by Matt Sherman and Lucas Dahl. Sherman averages 14.8 points a game and is second in the NAIA in made three-pointers. Dahl averages 14.2 points a game and leads the HAAC in field goal percentage.
The Eagles are coached by Jeff Sherman, who is in his 25th year at the school. Sherman, who is in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, has made three national tournament appearances at Central Methodist.
Scouting MidAmerica Nazarene
The defending HAAC Champions are currently 8-6 overall and 2-2 in conference action. The Pioneers had won four of their last five games before falling to Missouri Valley last time out.
MidAmerica Nazarene has the highest scoring offense in the HAAC, putting up 75.1 points a game. Defensively, it is second-to-last, allowing 74.1 points a contest.
Brenton Bell leads the team with 20.1 points a game, including averaging nearly 25 points in 2010. Bell has taken over 25 percent of the team’s field goal attempts and makes 83.7 percent of his free throw attempts.
Head coach of MidAmerica Nazarene is Rocky Lamar, who has been head coach there since 1986. He has led the Pioneers to 14 national tournaments.
Up Next
Lindenwood ends the first half of its HAAC schedule with a road game versus Benedictine and a home contest against William Jewell.