After a season best three-game winning streak, the Baker University men’s basketball team ran into an even hotter team in No. 10 Lindenwood University Saturday, which defeated the Wildcats 77-50.
Senior Andre Strozier, who scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, led BU in scoring against the Lions.
The ‘Cats could not stop the Lions from launching 3-point attempts, though. Lindenwood converted on 13 out of 24 from behind the arc and had four players score in double figures.
In order to start another winning streak, head coach Brett Ballard believes the team will need to tighten up defensively.
“We did not guard them well enough to beat a team that talented,” Ballard said. “If we are going to beat a team like that, we really, really need to lock down defensively, and we did not.”
Before the loss to Lindenwood, BU defeated MidAmerica Nazarene University, Graceland University and Benedictine College on its three-game winning streak.
Baker scored 81 and 80 points respectively to defeat MidAmerica Nazarene and Graceland, but relied on good defense to earn the victory over Benedictine.
The Ravens held the Wildcats to 20 points in the first half and led by seven at halftime, but Baker began the second half on an 18-4 run to take the lead.
While Ballard thought the team’s offensive execution could have been better against the Ravens, he was pleased that the team could win a defensive-minded game.
“They are a good defensive team and are going to make you grind it,” Ballard said. “I don’t think we executed our offense as well as we should have, but that credit goes to them.”
Benedictine rallied to tie the game 42-42 with 5:30 left, but Baker buckled down defensively and hit clutch free throws to defeat the Ravens 55-48.
“We go over defense every day in practice and that is what we really emphasize,” junior Tim Randolph said. “Coach (Ballard) really put it in our head that we need to play really hard, good team defense. If one person gets burned, we all get burned, so we all have each other’s back.”
The Wildcats were 5-7 in the HAAC going into Thursday’s matchup with Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo., but results for the game were not available at presstime.
As of Wednesday, Baker was tied with Missouri Valley College and Graceland and is a half-game behind MidAmerica Nazarene in a fight for fifth place in the conference.
“This league is very close together in talent,” Strozier said. “The team who wants it the most is going to get it.”
The Wildcats will be in action at 4 p.m. Saturday to host Evangel University in Collins Center after playing two consecutive games on the road.
