JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Northwest Missouri shot .636 from three-point range in the second half to hold off a Blue Tiger comeback and beat the Lincoln men's basketball team, 73-55, in the regular season finale for both teams on Saturday (Feb. 24).

Lincoln (15-13, 9-10 MIAA) made just four of its 14 attempts from three-point range and shot .438 from the floor. Northwest Missouri (24-3, 16-3 MIAA) shot .519 overall and .520 for the game from beyond the arc, making seven treys in the second half to stave off a Lincoln rally. The Bearcats finished with a slight 28-26 advantage in rebounding and forced LU into 11 turnovers while giving the ball away on just eight occasions.

Maurice Mason led Lincoln with 20 points and seven assists and also had three rebounds and a steal in his final regular season game as a Blue Tiger. Both Mason and Alexander Nailes, a four-year member of the Blue Tigers, were honored prior to the contest in a special Senior Day ceremony. Nailes played eight minutes and grabbed a rebound.

Northwest Missouri, ranked No. 10 in the country according to the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, raced out to a 37-27 halftime lead. Lincoln rallied in the second half to cut the deficit down to eight on two occasions, including on a Paris Parham trey with 12:20 remaining. NWMSU scored the next seven points, however, and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the contest.

Terrance Smith finished with 13 points, grabbed five boards, dished a pair of assists and registered a block and a steal. Darrius Spencer led LU with eight rebounds to go with six points and a pair of blocks while Amariontez Ivory and Grant Olsson each finished with four points.

John Burton scored three points and grabbed three rebounds, and Marquise Williams closed out the scoring with two points and a rebound. Calvin Chambers had an assist.

Lincoln will now wait to see who it will play in the first round of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship, which will take place on Tuesday night (Feb. 27) at 7:00 p.m. CST.