CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Lindsey Wilson men's basketball team scored a season-high 49 first-half points en route to a 96-73 win over Indiana Southeast on Friday evening.
Payton Cundiff led the Blue Raiders (6-3, 0-2 MSC) in scoring with 16 points while shooting four for nine from beyond the arc. Calvin Fugett scored 13 points while collecting five assists and Elijah Jordan finished with 12 points and six assists.
Giir Ring scored 12 points while Jackson Edwards recorded a career-high 11 points, hitting three shots from beyond the arc. The Blue Raiders had 11 total players in the scoring column and shot 56.3 percent overall, hitting 13 of their 23 three-pointers.
The Blue Raiders began their first half by jumping out to a five-point lead a little under two minutes into the game. Jordan opened the scoring by knocking down a corner three-pointer on a drive and kick from Fugett. A pair of free throws from Fugett and an elbow jumper by Ring put Lindsey Wilson up 7-2 with 18:08 left in the first half.
Both sides continued to trade baskets as the Blue Raiders were able to maintain a six-point lead through the majority of the first half. The Grenadiers (2-8, 1-2 RSC) cut to lead 10-7 with 16:02 left in the half before Lindsey Wilson expanded its lead with an 18-9 run. Mark Edmond ignited the run as he picked the pocket of Indiana southeast's Glenn Hill and connected with Jordan for a fastbreak layup.
The Grenadiers recovered from Lindsey Wilson's run, trimming the deficit to seven with 7:09 left in the first half. However, the Blue Raiders would take a 19-point lead going into halftime, outscoring Indiana Southeast 19-7 in the final minutes of the first half.
The second half was all Lindsey Wilson, shooting 58.6 percent overall from the field to grow the lead to as much as 27 in the final 20 minutes. Lindsey Wilson began the second half with three out of its first five shots coming from beyond the arc as Fugett, Jordan, and Ring each knocked down a three-pointer to take a 62-37 lead with 16:17 left in the game.
Indiana Southeast's Cody Doig and Lang scored back-to-back baskets to cut into the lead, but Jackson Harlan and Cundiff responded with back-to-back three-pointers to expand the lead. A pair of free throws from both Jordan and Connor Robinson along with Cundiff's third three-pointer of the second half gave Lindsey Wilson a 75-48 advantage with 10:31 remaining.
The Grenadines outscored the Blue Raiders 25-21 over the last 10 minutes of the game, but the lead was too great as Lindsey Wilson jumped back in the win column with a 23-point victory over Indiana Southeast.
The Blue Raiders return to the court tomorrow for day two of the Campbellsville Thanksgiving Classic, battling Webber International (Fla.). Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.