Lindenwood-University Belleville can’t overcome slow start in loss to Benedictine in men’s basketball

The Lindenwood University– Belleville men’s basketball team dropped a 76-53 decision Saturday to the Benedictine College Ravens in their final nonconference game of the season.

After scoring the first eight points of the game, the Ravens (7-3) never looked back on their way to a 41-19 lead at the break. In the second half, the Lynx (4-7) cut the deficit to 13, but it would not be enough.

ShunQuez Stephens led the Lynx with 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Sean McGee was the lone Lynx starter to score in double figures, as he finished with 12 points and six assists. The Lynx finished the game shooting 30 percent from the field and 57 percent from the free throw line. John Harris Jr. led the Ravens with 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The Ravens finished the game shooting 53 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line.

The Ravens started the game on an 8-0 run capped off by a three-point basket from CJ Vallejo. Just under five minutes into the game, McGee collected the Lynx first points and the lead was cut to six.

With 11:40 left in the first half the Ravens extended their lead 10 with a three point basket from VeQuan Clark. The Lynx responded with three straight points to cut the deficit to seven, but this is as close as they would get for the rest of the half. The Ravens used a 17-1 run over a six minute stretch to take a 25-point lead. In the final minute of the half, the Lynx scored six of the final nine points to cut the deficit to 22 at the break.

An 8-2 run by LU-Belleville cut the deficit to 13 in the second , but the Lynx would not get any closer. The Ravens answered with a 10-4 run to extend the lead back to 19.

With the victory, the Ravens collected their second win of the season over the Lynx. The 53 points scored is the lowest point total scored by the Lynx this season.

Next up, the Lynx will travel to Columbia College on Thursday to take on the undefeated and No. 5-ranked Cougars in Columbia, Mo. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Lindenwood-University Belleville can’t overcome slow start in loss to Benedictine in men’s basketball."