Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The Lindenwood Lions made a season-high 13 three pointers and shot 58 percent from the field to beat Nebraska Kearney, 83-64, Thursday night in St. Charles, Mo.
 
This was the Lopers (6-3, 2-1) first-ever trip to LWU (5-6, 1-2).
 
Among the top three point shooting teams in the MIAA, Lindenwood didn't miss early on, hitting five of their first six triples to open up a 26-13 lead.
 
They made two more in the first half but the Lopers started to chip away at the deficit, trailing 39-30 at the break. UNK continued to come back, getting a layup from Norfolk junior forward Ethan Brozek to make it 50-46 with 13:47 to go.
 
However, the Lions responded with a 19-5 run that featured four threes from three different players. LWU finished 13 of 19 (69%) from behind the arc while the Lopers were just 1 of 9.
 
This marks the fifth time this season Lindenwood has hit 10 or more threes in a game. Senior guard Darris Smith went 4 for 5 with Division I transfers Cory Arentsen (Austin Peay State, Tenn.) and Chanse Creekmur (Arizona State) each making 3 of 4 long rang shots.
 
"In college basketball when you go on the road, you have to take the game away from the other team. We got off to such a poor start where they got us down 17-4. We had to battle back the whole night," said UNK co-head coach Tom Kropp.
 
Smith, who had games of 31 and 21 points against UNK last season, had a team-high 22 points on 6 of 9 field goal shooting and a 6 of 6 effort at the line. Arentsen (20) and Creekmur (11) also reached double figures with Northern Illinois transfer Sam Mader (nine points, seven rebounds & three blocks) close to a double double.
 
Outscoring LWU 44-20 in the paint, UNK got 20 points from Brozek and 13 from freshman reserve post Trey Lansman (Harlan, Ia.). Next, Ravenna junior forward Connor Beranek had 12 with freshman guard Isaiah McKay (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) scoring 10.
 
UNK is at Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Tigers (4-8, 1-2) lost 73-55 to Washburn tonight