JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln women's basketball team closed its 2016-17 home slate on a high note, as the Blue Tigers defeated Lindenwood, 93-88, on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 11).

The contest was Senior Day for Hunter Yoakum, Azaria Nave, Khadijah Ellison and Shamirah Johnson, and all four seniors played a key role in getting the win for Lincoln. Yoakum led the Blue Tigers with 24 points, bringing her career total up to 1,135 points over four years at Lincoln. That moves her into third place on Lincoln's all-time career scoring chart, as she surpassed the 1,131 points recorded by Michelle Williams from 1985-89. Yoakum is now just five points away from taking over second place on Lincoln's scoring chart from Sheila Lee, who had 1,139 points between 1982 and 1985.

Nave also reached the 20-point plateau, as she scored 21 to go with a team-high eight assists, four rebounds and a steal. Ellison also finished in double figures, as she registered 12 points, a rebound, an assist and a steal. Johnson, meanwhile, led Lincoln with seven rebounds and scored three points while blocking two shots and recording a steal.

The Blue Tigers jumped out to a 9-2 start and never trailed in the first quarter, finishing the period with a 25-17 advantage. Lindenwood (10-13, 5-10 MIAA) rallied in the second quarter, out-scoring the Blue Tigers, 23-8, to take a 40-33 lead into the intermission. The Lady Lions led by as many as 10 early in the third period before a layup from Nave sprung Lincoln (4-18, 3-12 MIAA) onto a 7-2 run.

Lindenwood briefly shook off the comeback and used a layup of its own to take a 54-43 lead with 5:56 left in the third quarter. Nave hit a pair of free throws, Yoakum followed with a layup and Kailey Foster hit a three to pull the Blue Tigers within 54-50. A free throw from Erica Gibbons later closed the gap down to two, and Lindenwood entered the fourth quarter with just a 62-59 advantage. Foster ended her day with six points, a rebound and an assist while Gibbons scored 10, grabbed five boards and recorded a block.

Lincoln opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 66-62 lead, but the Lady Lions rallied to re-take the advantage, 70-66, with 6:12 remaining. Tyler Brown-Henderson cut the lead down to two with a layup, and Ellison later made a pair of shots at the line to knot the score back up at 70. That was the start of an 11-0 run that gave Lincoln the lead for good. Lindenwood pulled within three with under a minute to play, but the Blue Tigers hit 10 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

Brown-Henderson finished with four points, a pair of rebounds, two steals and an assist. Tempary Gunter provided six points, five boards and a steal while Citlali Lopez closed the scoring with seven points, three boards, two assists and a steal. Lincoln forced Lindenwood into 25 turnovers while giving the ball away just 12 times, and shot .429 from the floor en route to the victory.

The Blue Tigers will now close the 2016-17 season with four-straight road games, beginning with a rematch against Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo. on Tuesday night (Feb. 14). Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. CST.