EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE closed out the calendar year in style, racing to a 96-48 win over Lindenwood-Belleville Sunday at First Community Arena.

SIUE snapped an eight-game losing skid and improved to 3-10 overall. LU-Belleville fell to 1-11.

"You're trying to win everything that you are doing," SIUE Head Coach Brian Barone said. "I was proud of how our guys came out. They played the right way. I like how they were pulling for one another. We have had that feeling a bunch in between games and it was nice to have it in a game."

The Cougars never trailed against the NAIA opponent, using a 13-0 run down the stretch in the first half to lead 41-17 at the break.

SIUE connected on 65.7 percent (23-35) of its shots in the second half and 61.2 percent (41-67) for the game for its best shooting performance of the year.

"I thought we took good shots," Barone said. "There might have been three or four that we forced just because we got a little excited to score. And our transition was solid."

The Cougars scored 23 points on the fast break compared to just eight from Lindenwood-Belleville. SIUE also owned the lane, outscoring the Lynx 56-16 inside the paint.

SIUE racked up 27 assists on 41 made baskets, accounting for the team's most assists in a game since recording 30 assists against Robert Morris in a 2007 game.

"We were almost passing up good shots," Barone said. "That togetherness and that sharing was carried over today. They made it a focus to share the ball. They wanted success from their teammates today."

Three SIUE players scored in double figures, led by Zeke Moore who scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Cam Williams tied his season high with 17 points and added a career-high five assists. Mike Adewunmi scored 13 points and led SIUE with eight rebounds.

"Mike simplified some things he was trying to do," Barone added. "It was evident that he just tried to simplify what he was doing and he played really hard and I was proud of him for that."

In all 12 of SIUE's 14 players scored. Brandon Jackson and Kenyon Duling scored nine points each. Justin Benton turned in a season-best five points while adding two assists. Lamar Wright equaled his career-best with four points. Jackson Best played a career-high 3:39 and scored the first two points of his SIUE career. He also pulled down a rebound and added an assist. Blake Lindenmeyer also played 3:39, pulled in two rebounds and added an assist.

While the offense clicked, SIUE's defense also was on point. The Cougars held the Lynx to just 29 percent (17-58) shooting for the game. LU-Belleville was 6-25 from three-point range after entering the game averaging nine three-pointers a game.

The Cougars forced 25 turnovers and scored 29 points from those turnovers. The game started with a pair of Lindenwood turnovers on shot-clock violations.

"When you come out and do that, that's when you know your team is locked in," Barone said of the defense. "They're not gambling. They played solid. They implemented the game plan. It is basic fundamentals. They stayed in front of their man and they had active hands and they wanted to do it. Once you have that want, you can do anything."

Rodarius Mitchell led all scorers with 20 points for Lindenwood-Belleville. He was 6-14 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range. J.C. Moll added nine points for the Lynx.

SIUE now turns its attention to Ohio Valley Conference play. The Cougars open the OVC season with four straight road games. January begins with a trip to Belmont (Jan. 2) and Tennessee State (Jan. 4) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Barone was glad to have a positive result moving into a challenging OVC schedule.

"When you have that going into conference and you're pulling for your teammates' success that is huge," he said. "It was great to see a lot of smiles today."