Trojan Men Looking for Road Sweep at Lindenwood Saturday

Being on the road has been good for the Little Rock men's basketball team. The Trojans (12-7, 6-2) have won three straight games and can notch a four-game road sweep with a win over Lindenwood (9-11, 4-5) Saturday at St. Charles, Mo. The game tips off at 3:30 p.m., and can be heard on 1067 Buz2 with play-by-play announcer Trey Schaap hosting the pregame show 15 minutes prior to game time. The game is also being streamed on ESPN+.
 
SCORING IN BUNCHES
Jonathan Lawson has scored 25 points or more two of the past three games. He exploded for 28 points and hit the game-winning shot at SEMO last week. He scored 25 points to lead all scorers in an easy win over Western Illinois Thursday night.
Lawson, who averages 15.9 ppg, has scored more than 20 points four times this season. He has scored 25 points twice. 
 
BACK IN THE LINEUP
Creed Williamson saws his first game action Thursday night since injuring his foot at a shoot around Tuesday, Nov. 19. The 6-foot-8, 200-pounder, who has suited up for the past five games, recorded one assist in the 3:29 he was on the floor and should play more in coming games. Williamson's return leaves no other inactive players for the Trojans other than guard KK Robinson, who was lost for the season with a knee injury during the preseason and Travonne Jackson, who also endured a knee injury at Tennessee State. Senior Jordan Jefferson made his return to the lineup last week after sitting out since late November. He played nearly 22 minutes Thursday night.
 
BIG ON THE BOARDS
Senior Toungthach Gatkek snagged a career-high 10 rebounds in the win Thursday night. He also totaled 6 points. The 6-9 transfer from Texas State and Florida is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
THE SERIES
The teams have split four games in the two seasons Little Rock has been a member of the OVC. The Trojans won both games last season and Lindenwood won the two games during the 2022-23 season.
 
FIRST LOOK: Lindenwood 
Lindenwood lost two of its past three OVC games but stopped a two game skid Thursday night with a 72-68 home win vs. SEMO.
St. Louis native Anias Futrell, who scored 20 points in Thursday's win, leads the Lions with 13.9 points per game 5.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard, who has scored 20 points for times this season, played two seasons at St. Louis Community College before transferring to Christian Brothers College, an NCAA Division II program in Memphis, Tenn. Futrell averaged 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game at CBU in his only season with the program.
Markeith Browning II, a 6-4, 200-pound guard, averages 13 points and 4 rebounds per game. The Ypsilanti, Mich., native spent the past three seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The grad student averaged 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists at Milwaukee.
Jodis James averages 11.9 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Browning began his collegiate career at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.
 
Head coach Kyle Gerdeman has led the Lions for six seasons and is helping them transition Division II to Division I. Grdeman, a Southeast Missouri State alum, was an SEMO assistant and  coached at three Missouri junior colleges as an assistant before landing at the University of Central Michigan as an assistant for seven seasons under head coach Keno Davis. The Wright City, Mo., native returned to his home state to led the Lions in 2019.  His teams finished 34-43 in three seasons in Division II play as a member of the Grand Lakes Valley Conference. The Lions were 22-48 entering this season as he is in the middle of the third year of Division I play. None of Gerdeman's teams have recorded a winning record during his tenure.