The Lindenwood bowling teams ended their 2009-10 seasons this weekend at the USBC Intercollegiate Team National Championships. The Lions went 4-2 and tied for third at the national competition, while the Lady Lions went 2-2 and tied for seventh.
First Round
The men dropped their first set but rebounded to win the next four in a victory over Fresno State. Lindenwood averaged 214.6 in the match compared to 186.2 for Fresno State.
The Lady Lions went up 2-0 before dropping a close third game against West Texas A&M. The team rebounded with two straight games of 190 or better to advance in the tournament. Lindenwood averaged 195.2, compared to 173.0 for West Texas A&M.
Second Round
Lindenwood men's team fell to the contenders' bracket after a tough seven-game loss to RIT. The two teams split the first six games, with the Lions winning odd sets and RIT winning the even ones. That trend ended in the seventh game as RIT captured the match with a 209-192 victory. For the match, Lindenwood averaged 199.1, and RIT was just under 200.
The women's had to go to an eighth game after the Lady Lions and McKendree were tied after seven. Lindenwood led 3.5-1.5 but McKendree won two straight to tie it and then won 204-195 in the deciding contest. The Lady Lions had a better average for the eight games by a 200.5-193.5 comparison.
Third Round
The Lions had to come-from-behind for a 4-3 victory over Arizona State in the third round of the tournament. Lindenwood dropped three straight games to fall behind 3-1, but stayed alive with a fifth game win. The team then shot games of 223 and 214 to complete the win. Both squads broke 200 three times and Lindenwood had the overall best average by a 199.7-193.0 mark.
The Lady Lions started strong against Briarcliffe by winning the first two games by 10 pins or less, and then completed a 4-2 victory with thee 200+ games over the final four games. Lindenwood averaged 187.5 for the six games while Briarcliffe averaged 179.5.
Fourth Round
Lindenwood's men team played its third straight seven-game match against Fresno State and for the second straight time, had a come-from-behind 4-3 victory. The Lions won game one by a 203-202 score, which turned out to huge in the final outcome. Lindenwood also won game two, but Fresno State came back with three straight wins. The Lions tied the contest after bowling a 278 and having a 118 pin victory in game six, and then winning the deciding game yb a 208-172 margin. For the match, Lindenwood averaged 205.3 while Fresno State averaged 188.5.
The Lady Lions saw their season come to an end with a 4-2 setback against Central Florida. The two squads split the first four games, but Central Florida won the final two games, averaging 210.0 for that pair of games. Lindenwood finished with a 183.7 average for that contest, while Central Florida had a 200.0 mark.
Fifth Round
Lindenwood avenged its only loss on the men's side with a 4-1 victory over RIT. The difference was back-to-back one-pin victories by the Lions in games two and three. That put Lindenwood up 2-1 and it then averaged over 250 for the final two games, both Lion wins. Lindenwood had a much higher average during the match as it recorded a 204.0 mark, compared to 189.0 for RIT.
Semifinals
The men's bowling team made its first semifinal appearance since 2007 and had another seven-game battle, this one against Calumet. This time, Lindenwood could not overcome a 3-1 deficit, falling 203-183 in the final contest. The Lions had four 200 games and averaged 200.3. Calumet also bowled four 200 games and averaged 195.0.
