ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Richie Lewis had a double-double, four Blue Tigers scored in double figures and the Lincoln men's basketball team defeated Lindenwood, 72-61, in the first round of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship on Monday evening (Feb. 27).

Lewis scored 12 points and pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds to go with three assists and a steal. Jaylon Smith led LU with 21 points and grabbed five boards to go with an assist and a block. Anthony Virdure chipped in 16 points, pulled down three rebounds, dished a pair of assists and had a steal. Maurice Mason, meanwhile, added 12 points, two boards and a steal.

Lindenwood (21-12) opened the game on a 7-0 run, but Lincoln (17-12) clawed back to tie the game at 12 on a layup by Smith with 12:43 left in the half. The Lions hit a quick three to start a 9-2 run, but the Blue Tigers rallied once again, with Virdure hitting a layup to knot the score at 24 at the 4:28 mark.

A jumper by Lewis gave LU its first lead of the night, and the teams went back-and-forth until there was about one minute left in the period, when a free throw by Smith gave Lincoln a 33-32 advantage. Lewis later made a free throw, and the Blue Tigers went into halftime with a 34-32 lead.

The Lions and Blue Tigers had met twice in the regular season, with Lindenwood rallying from halftime deficits to win each game. On Monday, however, Lincoln shot .444 from the floor over the final 20 minutes, forced seven turnovers and held an 18-15 edge in rebounding. Mason made four treys in the second half to help Lincoln build a 67-47 lead with 3:19 remaining.

Lindenwood made one last-gasp attempt at a comeback, forcing five-straight Lincoln turnovers to go on an 11-0 run. The run started with 2:53 to play, as the Lions made their first field goal since the 9:14 mark. Lewis, however, ended the run with a pair of free throws with 39 seconds to play to make it a 69-58 game. Lewis hit two more shots at the line to help clinch the victory.

Rod Ollison provided the Blue Tigers with six points, four rebounds and an assist while O'Shai Clark contributed two points, a pair of rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Tacourrus Mattox also grabbed two rebounds, and Chase Morfeld rounded out the scoring with three points.

With Monday's win, Lincoln will now advance to the quarterfinals of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship to play Northwest Missouri at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Tip-off for that contest on Thursday (March 2) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST.