CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — Lindenwood built a massive 27-point halftime lead and withstood a furious second-half rally to defeat Southeast Missouri State 88-76 in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Show Me Center. The Lions, led by Anias Futrell’s 28 points, scored the game’s first 10 points and led 45-18 at halftime after holding the Redhawks to 26% shooting. Southeast Missouri State outscored Lindenwood 58-43 after intermission but never closed the gap to single digits. Dontrez Williams added 22 points for the Lions, while Luke Almodovar scored 21 for the Redhawks. Lindenwood improved to 11-7 overall. Southeast Missouri State fell to 9-9. Attendance was 3,892.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — Anias Futrell scored 28 points and the Lindenwood Lions built a massive first-half lead before holding off a furious second-half rally by Southeast Missouri State to secure an 88-76 victory in Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball on Thursday night at the Show Me Center. The Lions, who led by as many as 31 points in the opening period, saw that commanding advantage whittled down to single digits in the final minutes but made enough key plays and free throws to snap a two-game skid and improve to 11-7 overall. The Redhawks fell to 9-9. The game’s defining stretch was its stunningly lopsided start. Lindenwood came out with relentless defensive pressure, forcing Southeast Missouri State into a series of rushed shots and turnovers. The Redhawks missed 15 of their first 16 field goal attempts and did not reach double figures on the scoreboard until the 5:49 mark of the first half. By that point, Lindenwood had already amassed a 31-point lead at 34-3. Futrell, a 6-foot-5 guard from St. Louis, was instrumental in the early onslaught, hitting three first-half 3-pointers and scoring 15 points before the break. His backcourt mate, Dontrez Williams of Sikeston, added 12 first-half points, while Jadis Jones of New Madrid dominated inside with 14 points and three blocks in the period. Lindenwood shot 48.6% from the field in the first half while holding Southeast Missouri State to a frigid 6-of-34 performance, just 17.6%. The Lions took a 45-18 lead into halftime, having scored 25 fast-break points and 20 points off 10 Redhawk turnovers. The second half, however, was a complete reversal. Southeast Missouri State, led by Luke Almodovar’s 19 points after halftime, found its offensive rhythm. The Redhawks opened the period on a 22-7 run, cutting the deficit to 52-40 with 14:50 remaining. Almodovar, a guard from Noblesville, Indiana, finished with a team-high 21 points. Every time Lindenwood seemed to stabilize, the Redhawks answered. A 3-pointer by Blaize Sagna of London, England, brought Southeast Missouri State within 60-52 with 9:50 to play. The Lions pushed the lead back to 14, but a 9-2 Redhawks run, capped by a PJ Farmer layup, made it 71-65 with just over four minutes left. Farmer, from Charleston, Missouri, was a catalyst in the rally, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half and adding three steals. The Lions finally sealed the game at the free-throw line. After Almodovar’s dunk made it 74-71 with 2:26 remaining, Lindenwood closed the game on a 14-2 run, with 10 of those points coming from the foul line. Futrell and Williams combined to go 8 for 10 from the stripe in the final 1:25. Williams finished with 22 points, five steals and three assists for Lindenwood. Jones added 20 points, three blocks and three assists. Milos Nenadic, a 6-foot-10 forward from Kitchener, Canada, contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Beyond Almodovar and Farmer, Southeast Missouri State got 11 points from Braxton Stacker of Fairview Heights, Illinois, and 10 points from Brendan Terry of Santa Monica, California. Despite the second-half surge, the statistical ledger reflected Lindenwood’s early dominance. The Lions outscored the Redhawks 44-34 in the paint, 25-13 on fast breaks, and committed only two more turnovers while forcing 14. Lindenwood’s offensive rating of 114.8 on 77 possessions far outpaced Southeast Missouri State’s 90.1 on 84 trips. The announced attendance was 3,892. The Redhawks, who were installed as 6.5-point favorites pregame, saw a projected win probability of 81.8% by one analytical system fail to materialize. The total score of 164 points went over the betting over/under line of 156. Lindenwood travels to face Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Southeast Missouri State will host SIU Edwardsville the same day.

Preview: Lindenwood Lions at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — A pivotal Ohio Valley Conference matchup awaits Thursday night at the Show Me Center as the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks host the Lindenwood Lions. Both teams enter with nearly identical records, seeking momentum in the heart of the conference schedule. Lindenwood (10-7) holds a slight edge over Southeast Missouri State (9-8), with each team looking to climb above .500 in league play. The Lions are led by dynamic guard Anias Futrell, who is coming off a 30-point performance in a loss to Arkansas-Little Rock on Jan. 10. Futrell has shown explosive scoring ability, including a 36-point outing against Western Illinois on Dec. 18, and will be the focal point of Lindenwood’s offense. Southeast Missouri State counters with guard Brendan Terry, who erupted for 30 points in a road win at Southern Indiana on Jan. 8. Terry’s scoring punch will be crucial for a Redhawks team that fell narrowly, 71-69, at Morehead State in its last outing. Lindenwood has dropped its last two contests after a three-game winning streak to open January. The Lions’ offense, averaging over 80 points per game during that win streak, will test a Southeast Missouri State defense that has been stout at home, holding opponents to an average of 64 points in its last three games in Cape Girardeau. The Redhawks have won three of their last four, with the only loss being the two-point decision at Morehead State. Home court has been an advantage; Southeast Missouri State is 6-2 at the Show Me Center this season. This contest marks the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs. They will meet again in St. Charles, Missouri, on Feb. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST Thursday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.