KANSAS CITY - Lincoln put a scare into Division I foe UMKC on Wednesday night, but the Blue Tigers' last-second shot attempt at the upset was just off the mark.
The Blue Tigers' Anthony Virdure had a half-court heave at the buzzer that was wide and bounced off the backboard to allow the "Roos to emerge with a 73-72 win at Municipal Auditorium.
It was about the only long-range shot Virdure didn't make on the night, as he ended up with a game-high 29 points that included a 6-of-11 effort from 3-point range.
He also pulled down a team-high six rebounds and also had one steal and one assist in the contest
The Blue Tigers got off to a quick start in the contest, racing out to a 21-14 lead after slightly more than seven minutes.
Lincoln eventually took its biggest lead of the game when Jaylon Smith drilled a 3-pointer that made it 26-17 with 9:57 left before halftime.
However, the "Roos responded with a 21-5 run during the next 81/2 minutes to go up 38-31. The Blue Tigers closed out the half with a 5-0 spurt to get within 38-36 at intermission.
UMKC started to stretch out its lead after the break and eventually went up 60-49 with 7:21 left.
The Blue Tigers started chipping away and got within one at 65-64 with 2:21 left on a layup by Virdure and again at 73-72 with :05 left on a 3 by Virdure.
The "Roos missed two free throws with :03 left to give the Blue Tigers a glimmer of hope, but the last-second heave was off the mark.
Smith joined Virdure in double figures by pumping in 22 points, while Richie Lewis dished out nine assists for Lincoln.
Martez Harrison led the "Roos with 17 points, while Dashawn King had 15 and LaVell Boyd added 10.
The game was an official contest for UMKC and an exhibition for Lincoln.
With the win, UMKC (3-2) moved above .500 for the first time since Nov. 19, 2014.
The Blue Tigers return to action Tuesday with their final non-conference game, as they will host Robert Morris-Springfield at 7 p.m.