CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — Anias Futrell scored 28 points and the Lindenwood Lions built a massive first-half lead before holding off a furious second-half rally by Southeast Missouri State to secure an 88-76 victory in Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball on Thursday night at the Show Me Center.

The Lions, who led by as many as 31 points in the opening period, saw that commanding advantage whittled down to single digits in the final minutes but made enough key plays and free throws to snap a two-game skid and improve to 11-7 overall. The Redhawks fell to 9-9.

The game’s defining stretch was its stunningly lopsided start. Lindenwood came out with relentless defensive pressure, forcing Southeast Missouri State into a series of rushed shots and turnovers. The Redhawks missed 15 of their first 16 field goal attempts and did not reach double figures on the scoreboard until the 5:49 mark of the first half. By that point, Lindenwood had already amassed a 31-point lead at 34-3.

Futrell, a 6-foot-5 guard from St. Louis, was instrumental in the early onslaught, hitting three first-half 3-pointers and scoring 15 points before the break. His backcourt mate, Dontrez Williams of Sikeston, added 12 first-half points, while Jadis Jones of New Madrid dominated inside with 14 points and three blocks in the period.

Lindenwood shot 48.6% from the field in the first half while holding Southeast Missouri State to a frigid 6-of-34 performance, just 17.6%. The Lions took a 45-18 lead into halftime, having scored 25 fast-break points and 20 points off 10 Redhawk turnovers.

The second half, however, was a complete reversal. Southeast Missouri State, led by Luke Almodovar’s 19 points after halftime, found its offensive rhythm. The Redhawks opened the period on a 22-7 run, cutting the deficit to 52-40 with 14:50 remaining. Almodovar, a guard from Noblesville, Indiana, finished with a team-high 21 points.

Every time Lindenwood seemed to stabilize, the Redhawks answered. A 3-pointer by Blaize Sagna of London, England, brought Southeast Missouri State within 60-52 with 9:50 to play. The Lions pushed the lead back to 14, but a 9-2 Redhawks run, capped by a PJ Farmer layup, made it 71-65 with just over four minutes left.

Farmer, from Charleston, Missouri, was a catalyst in the rally, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half and adding three steals.

The Lions finally sealed the game at the free-throw line. After Almodovar’s dunk made it 74-71 with 2:26 remaining, Lindenwood closed the game on a 14-2 run, with 10 of those points coming from the foul line. Futrell and Williams combined to go 8 for 10 from the stripe in the final 1:25.

Williams finished with 22 points, five steals and three assists for Lindenwood. Jones added 20 points, three blocks and three assists. Milos Nenadic, a 6-foot-10 forward from Kitchener, Canada, contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.

Beyond Almodovar and Farmer, Southeast Missouri State got 11 points from Braxton Stacker of Fairview Heights, Illinois, and 10 points from Brendan Terry of Santa Monica, California.

Despite the second-half surge, the statistical ledger reflected Lindenwood’s early dominance. The Lions outscored the Redhawks 44-34 in the paint, 25-13 on fast breaks, and committed only two more turnovers while forcing 14. Lindenwood’s offensive rating of 114.8 on 77 possessions far outpaced Southeast Missouri State’s 90.1 on 84 trips.

The announced attendance was 3,892. The Redhawks, who were installed as 6.5-point favorites pregame, saw a projected win probability of 81.8% by one analytical system fail to materialize. The total score of 164 points went over the betting over/under line of 156.

Lindenwood travels to face Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Southeast Missouri State will host SIU Edwardsville the same day.