The Lindenwood-Belleville Lynx lost to Southern Virginia University 91-79 Wednesday in the first round of the USCAA National Championship Tournament in Uniontown, Pa.
It marked Lindenwood-Belleville's third-consecutive loss to the Knights at the USCAA Championships.
The Lynx (26-5 and seeded fourth) got on the board first with Todd Starks' bucket, but the Knights (17-6 and seeded fifth) went on a 13-0 run to gain an 11-point lead just three minutes into the game.
Southern Virginia would not let up, shooting 54 percent in the first half, while the Lynx shot just 28 percent. Starks reached double figures early, with 12 points in the first half, but LU-Belleville was down 45-28 after 20 minutes.
After trailing by double-digits much of the game, the Lynx came out stronger in the second half, going on an 8-3 run in the final minute to cut the deficit to single digits. Despite outscoring the Knights 51-46 in the second half, it wasn't enough as the Lynx fell.
Starks led the way with 29 points, while Deon Miner put up 17 and dished out a team-high four assists. Andrew Pokryzwinski chipped in nine points and two assists before fouling out.
Following the first-round loss, the Lynx took on St. Joe's-Brooklyn in the consolation round Thursday morning, defeating the Bears, 81-74.
The Lynx held a comfortable lead, throughout the first 10 minutes, but the Bears came back and cut the Lynx lead to 34-27 at halftime. Starks and Matt Sturdivant both scored 14 points in the first half.
In the second half, the Bears closed the gap again, narrowing LU-Belleville's lead to three points with just under a minute to play, but the Lynx held on for the win.
Starks had a team-high 32 points, with Sturdivant adding 21 points and 14 rebounds. Sturdivant picked up his 10th double-double of the season, an single-season record for LU-Belleville men's basketball.
The Lynx finished the 2012-13 season at 27-5 overall, a program-best.
At this year's USCAA Championships, Todd Starks was named USCAA All-American, with Matt Sturdivant earning Second Team All-American honors. John Krodinger and Steve Roper earned USCAA All-Academic honors.
