Men's basketball

Lynx put streak on line Wednesday

BELLEVILLE -- Following a three-week break for the holidays, the Lindenwood-Belleville men's basketball team returned to the court on Sunday for the first time since Dec, 11. The Lynx made a statement with their return, defeating Indiana Northwest 88-71.

The Lynx extended their winning streak to five games for the first time since the team's record-setting 5-0 start to the 2012-13 season. The Lynx are back in action Wednesday as they host Indiana Kokomo. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

The Lynx (14-3) and Redhawks (4-14) were shaky to start the first half in their game. Both teams struggled from the field, shooting just over 29 percent.

Deon Miner came out with 18 of the Lynx' 35 first-half points -- going 6-of-14 from the field.

The second half began as a back-and-forth battle, but a couple of and-ones in favor of LU-Belleville gave the Lynx the edge they needed to take the lead. From there, the Lynx ran away with a commanding lead and never looked back, going on for the 88-71 win.

Five Lynx saw double-figures, with Miner's 23 leading the way. Matt Sturdivant recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Steve Roper picked up his third of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Brian Byrd added 11 on the day, while Todd Starks reached double-figures for the 17th-consecutive game with 14.

Wrestling

Cougar matmen drop two duals

EDWARDSVILLE -- The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville wrestling team dropped its first two home dual meets of the season Sunday afternoon, falling to both Appalachian State and Northern Illinois at the Vadalabene Center.

The Cougars suffered a 28-9 defeat at the hands of Southern Conference foe Appalachian State before losing 31-13 against in-state rival Northern Illinois.

The pair of defeats left Head Coach David Ray disappointed in the day's results.

"Honestly, we didn't compete very well," Ray said. "Against Appalachian State, we came out very flat. I know we're better than how we competed today."

Picking up victories in the loss to ASU were Kyle Lowman (157 pounds), Derek Nagel (184), and David Devine (285), all of whom won by decision.

Against Northern Illinois, Dillon Pousson (149) pinned the Huskies' Shawn Fayette in 1 minute, 3 seconds. Jake Residori (174) earned a 6-1 decision over Dan Burk, and Josh Wood (197) secured a 19-5 major decision over Parker Settecase.

"We discussed a lot of things about these matches. and we'll figure out how to turn it around," Ray added. "There were some guys who picked it up and competed well today."

The Cougars will now regroup before traveling to Warrensburg, Mo., on Sunday for the Denker Open. The competition begins at 9 a.m.