By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, OH---The Express men's basketball team led Lakeland 35-34 at halftime, but were outscored 46-23 and shot 0-12 from three point range in the second half of an 80-58 loss.

Franklin Lindsey, once again, led the Express as his strong first half carried him to a team-high 16 points. He added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block while finishing 5-for-10 from the field (3-for-5 from three point range) and 3-for-4 from the foul line.

In the first half, the Express shot 11-for-32 overall, 6-for-11 from three point range, and 7-for-8 from the foul line. However, in the second half, they shot 11-for-33 overall, didn't make a three, and were 1-for-3 from the foul line.

Meanwhile, Lakeland shot 18-for-30 in the second half, including a 2-for-3 finish from three point range and 8-for-11 from the foul line. In the first half, they had finished 12-for-31 overall, 0-for-5 from three point range and 10-for-11 from the foul line.

In addition to their strong shooting second half, Lakeland out-rebounded Owens 42-35 and also held advantages in paint points (42-28) and points off turnovers (22-18). Owens outscored Lakeland 24-15 in bench points, mainly due to Lindsey's strong play.

The game featured four ties and two lead changes. The Express held their largest lead of the game (six) with 5:38 left in the first half.

Justin Edmonds added 14 points for the Express, while Chaz Rollins led Lakeland with 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Deran Banton (18), Brendan Cooper (10) and Martell Medley (10) also scored in double figures for the Lakers.

Lakeland will now advance to the NJCAA D-II National Tournament for the second consecutive season. They are 25-7.

Meanwhile, the Express, who were competing in their first Region XII final since 2006-07, finished 24-8. That marks a 14 win improvement from last year's 10-21 finish, which included the fourth fewest wins in program history.