Red Lions Drop OT Heart Breaker at Home

[December 06, 2014]  LINCOLN - The Red Lions of Lincoln Christian University (LCU) hosted the Bulldogs of Boyce College (BC) on Friday night and no one could have asked for better end game drama than what the Red Lions and Bulldogs provided at Gaston Arena. With a tie at the end of regulation, LCU went into it's first OT of the year locked at 60, but good defense and not-so-good shooting gave Boyce the advantage as LCU fell with a final score of 61-64.

Boyce jumped out to an early lead in the first half and held it for the majority of the period. Leading by as much as 11 with 4:14 to play before the break, LCU headed into the locker room 35-43. It was just the tip of the ice berg as the Red Lions battled back to tie and take a couple small leads. The majority of the second half was spent trading buckets and equalizing. With 40 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 60, LCU called a time out to regroup. The plan didn't work and the deadlock remained to take the game into OT.

For the next five minutes, both teams threw up shot after shot, but only three felt the inside of the net, for LCU it was a single free throw. Battle scarred and weary, the Red Lions gave all they had but their accuracy waned in the closing minutes and it cost them the game. LCU fell, unable to hit another three points to get a second OT.

Josiah Gordon (SO/Springfield, IL) was the stand out scorer for the Red Lions, racking up 22 points on the night. Jimmy Smylie (SO/Springfield, IL) posted a double-double with 13 points on the night and leading with 12 rebounds.

LCU’s School of Undergraduate Studies is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Founded in Lincoln, Illinois, in 1944, Lincoln Christian University’s three schools – the School of Undergraduate Studies, the Hargrove School of Adult & Graduate Studies and the Seminary – share a mission to nurture and equip Christians with a Biblical worldview to serve and lead in the church and the world. For more information about the Red Lions visit LincolnChristian.edu/athletics.

[Todd Spellman, Lincoln Christian University]