COLUMBIA, Ky. – Chris Bridges matched a career high with 15 points and Daronte' Clark added 11 on an off-shooting night to get fourth-ranked Lindsey Wilson past Shawnee State (Ohio) 64-51 on Saturday at Biggers Sports Center.
Clark, who finished just 4-of-14 from the field, wasn't along struggling shooting the ball as the Blue Raiders shot just 37.9 percent as a team. Wes Hanspard, with nine points and three rebounds, had the best night, missing just two shots in six tries. Bridges hit three of Lindsey Wilson's four threes.
The Bears (13-9, 9-5 MSC) had a nearly identical shooting mark at 37.5 percent, including making just 2-of-17 tries from 3-point range. Comparatively, Lindsey Wilson made just 4-of-26 shots from deep range.
Ian Nixson matched Bridges to lead the Bears with 15 points, while Tyler Morgan had a nice line of 11 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. With Morgan leading the pack, the Bears still couldn't outrebound Lindsey Wilson (21-2, 11-2 MSC), losing the battle 41-40.
The win avenges an earlier loss this season at Shawnee State. The game is one of only two blemishes on the Blue Raiders' schedule. The Bears won that matchup by four, but on Saturday in Columbia, Lindsey Wilson controlled the game from start to finish.
Lindsey Wilson never trailed, but the game was tied twice in the first half. In the second frame, the Blue Raiders went ahead by as many as 21 points on a three from Bridges with 12 minutes to play.
The first half was all about the bench players for Lindsey Wilson as the Blue Raider reserves outscored the Bears 21-2, led by Bridges' nine first-half points. The majority of the scoring came down low as Lindsey Wilson held a 24-8 advantage in the paint.
With the threes not falling (1-for-11) the Blue Raiders utilized a layup by Hanspard with six minutes left in the first half to take a 24-13 lead, which was its largest of the half.
The Bears cut the lead back to single digits in the final two minutes as a three from Ian Nixson made the Blue Raider lead 30-24 with 54 seconds on the clock. Bridges went to the line for Lindsey Wilson's final two points of the half to take a 32-24 lead into the break.
It took just eight minutes in the second half for the Lindsey Wilson lead to swell to over 20 points. Shawnee State got within 11 on a basket by Gouch with six minutes left, but a Milton Watts dunk three minutes later pulled the advantage back up to 17.
The Blue Raiders return for more MSC play at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday as they travel to No. 22 Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky.
