Lindenwood’s Chris Childs makes a move against an EIU defender during Thursday’s men’s basketball contest. (Photo courtesy: Lindenwood Athletics)

Team	1	2	Total
Lindenwood (5-9, 0-1)	28	26	54
Eastern Illinois (5-9, 1-0)	32	23	55

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

CHARLESTON, IL — The Lindenwood University men’s basketball team played its first Ohio Valley Conference game Thursday night against Eastern Illinois University, and despite a strong comeback effort late in the game, the Lions lost to the Panthers, 55-54.

Eastern Illinois led for most of the game, and seemed to have the contest put away when it went ahead 55-49 with just under three minutes to play. But Lindenwood rallied with a couple of quick baskets, including a three-pointer by Kevin Caldwell to pull within a point with just over a minute left.

In that final minute though, neither team could score, as Eastern Illinois missed a shot and two free throws, and Lindenwood missed three shots of its own, including a three-point attempt by Caldwell with five seconds left and an offensive rebound tip-in attempt by Cam Burrell in the final second that rolled off the rim just as time expired.

“Tough loss tonight in our OVC opener on the road,” Lindenwood head coach Kyle Gerdeman said. “I thought our guys hung in there well over the course of 40 minutes, and continued to battle and make plays. We had a good opportunity at the buzzer and just came up short.”

The loss was Lindenwood’s third in a row, and dropped the Lions to 5-9 on the season. Eastern Illinois is also 5-9 on the year, but the Panthers have won three in a row.

Burrell finished the night as the game’s high scorer and had a double-double after posting 17 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Jacob Tracey added nine points and five steals.

The Lions will be back in action on Saturday, December 31, when they’ll host Tennessee Tech in another OVC contest at Hyland Arena in St. Charles. That matchup is scheduled to tip off at 3:30 p.m., and will follow a game between the school’s women’s teams at 1 p.m.

Lindenwood 54

##	Player	GS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	ORB-DRB	REB	PF	A	TO	BLK	STL	PTS
05	Cam Burrell	*	36	6-12	0-2	5-5	6-5	11	2	1	0	3	2	17
04	Jacob Tracey	*	35	4-5	1-2	0-0	0-2	2	3	3	4	0	5	9
30	Chris Childs	*	39	3-10	1-6	1-2	0-4	4	2	2	6	0	1	8
00	David Ware	*	21	3-9	0-2	1-2	2-3	5	2	1	2	0	1	7
11	Kevin Caldwell, Jr.	*	40	2-11	1-6	0-1	1-4	5	3	3	5	0	1	5
24	Keenon Cole		25	3-6	1-1	1-3	0-9	9	3	0	1	2	0	8
03	Tommie Williams		4	0-2	0-1	0-0	0-2	2	0	0	1	0	0	0
TM	TEAM		0	0-0	0-0	0-0	1-2	3	0	0	1	0	0	0
	Totals	–	200	21-55	4-20	8-13	10-31	41	15	10	20	5	10	54

Eastern Illinois 55

##	Player	GS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	ORB-DRB	REB	PF	A	TO	BLK	STL	PTS
10	Kinyon Hodges	*	39	6-13	3-5	0-0	0-3	3	0	3	3	0	5	15
20	Caleb Donaldson	*	38	3-7	2-4	1-4	0-2	2	0	2	3	0	1	9
25	Dan Luers	*	19	2-5	1-4	2-2	0-4	4	1	0	2	0	0	7
11	Nick Eliington	*	11	1-2	0-0	2-2	1-1	2	1	0	0	1	0	4
04	Yaakema Rose	*	28	0-5	0-3	2-3	1-3	4	3	3	3	0	1	2
02	Paul Bizimana		17	3-6	0-0	3-3	1-2	3	2	1	1	1	1	9
05	Sincere Malone		17	1-6	1-5	2-4	1-4	5	2	1	1	0	2	5
24	Kyle Thomas		10	2-5	0-0	0-0	2-2	4	2	0	0	0	0	4
13	Kyle Carlesimo		13	0-2	0-2	0-0	0-3	3	0	1	0	0	0	0
03	Cameron Haffner		6	0-2	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
34	Jermaine Hamlin		2	0-1	0-0	0-0	0-3	3	2	0	0	0	0	0
TM	TEAM		0	0-0	0-0	0-0	2-1	3	0	0	1	0	0	0
	Totals	–	200	18-54	7-25	12-18	8-28	36	13	11	16	2	10	55

2022 Lindenwood Lions Upcoming Men’s Basketball Schedule

Sat., December 31 — vs. Tennessee Tech* — 3 pm

Thu., January 5 — at Arkansas-Little Rock* — 7:30 pm

Sat., January 7 — vs. Tennessee State* — 3:30 pm

Thu., January 12 — at SEMO* — 7 pm

Sat., January 14 — at SIUE* — 5:30 pm

Thu., January 19 — vs. Southern Indiana* — 8 pm

Sat., January 21 — vs. Morehead State* — 3:30 pm

* – Denotes Ohio Valley Conference game

All Lindenwood home basketball games will be played at Hyland Arena.