Complete Game Notes
Game #15: #RV Lincoln (11-3, 4-1 MIAA) at Central Missouri (9-6, 2-4 MIAA)
Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: UCM Multipurpose Building (6,500) in Warrensburg, Mo.
Tickets: Available at Site
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://ucmathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team will try to earn an eighth-straight win on Wednesday night (Jan. 16) when the Blue Tigers travel to Warrensburg, Mo. to face Central Missouri in a 7:30 p.m. CST contest. Lincoln, which received votes in the most recent National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll, won its seventh-consecutive game on Saturday (Jan. 12) when the Blue Tigers beat Lindenwood, 96-87, in St. Charles, Mo. in triple overtime. On Wednesday, Lincoln, which is 11-3 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play, will take on a UCM squad that has lost its past two games after going on a four-game win streak of its own. The Mules are 9-6 on the year, but 2-4 against conference opponents.

FAST BREAKS
- This will be the 93rd meeting between Central Missouri and Lincoln, with UCM holding a 58-34 advantage in the series. LU won the last meeting, 79-65, in Jefferson City, and last won in Warrensburg in 2016-17.

- At 11-3, the Blue Tigers have their best 14-game start to a season since 2000-01. That year, LU started 13-3 before finishing the season 20-7.

- Lincoln enters the weekend with a seven-game winning streak, its first such since the 1992-93 season.

- A win would give Lincoln its first eight-game winning streak since winning 12-straight in 1980-81.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Terrance Smith leads Lincoln with 18.1 points and 7.1 boards per night while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads LU with 4.6 assists while scoring 12.3 per night. Amariontez Ivory (13.6 ppg.) and Jonell Burton (13.1 ppg.) are LU's other offensive leaders, and L'Kielynn Taylor is averaging 5.4 rebounds.

HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY:  Now in his fifth season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers, Moseley has led LU to three-straight postseason appearances as well as three-consecutive winning seasons. In 2015-16, he became the first coach to take Lincoln to the postseason since 1986-87 and led LU to its first winning campaign since 2001-02. The Blue Tigers have posted double-digit wins in each of the past four seasons.

LAST TIME OUT:  Ni'Sean Rigmaiden scored a career-high 32 points, including LU's final 10 of the game, to help Lincoln top Lindenwood, 96-87, in triple overtime in St. Charles on Saturday (Jan. 12). Jonell Burton had 17 points and 15 boards, and Terrance Smith came close to doubling up as well with 21 points and nine rebounds. L'Kielynn Taylor added 13 rebounds and Grant Olsson scored 12 points.

SCOUTING THE MULES:  Central Missouri has been out-rebounded by an average of 36.1-34.9 and averages nearly as many points (70.9) as it allows (69.7). Leading the Mules offensively are Jafar Kinsey (13.8 ppg.), Jakob Lowrance (12.1) and Blake Spellman (11.1), with Lowrance's 6.4 rebounding average leading the team. Spellman, meanwhile, has a team-high 46 assists.

UCM HEAD COACH DOUG KARLESKINT:  In his fifth season as the head coach of the Mules, Karleskint has directed Central Missouri to more than 80 wins and a trip to the NCAA Division II tournament. Karleskint came to UCM after a four-year career at Arkansas Tech in which he won 89 games and made the NCAA tournament every year.

POLLING:  The Blue Tigers received nine votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll, marking the second-straight week that LU has received votes in the official national poll. Lincoln also got some good news from the Division II Sports Information Director's Central Region Media Poll, in which LU also was among those receiving votes.

SHOOTING STARS:  LU ranks among the best teams in the MIAA in making baskets, as Lincoln is third in the conference in field goal percentage at .491. The Blue Tigers, who rank second in DII in three-point percentage (.436) and 30th in total field goal percentage, are 10-1 this season when finishing games with a higher accuracy rating than their opponents.

BURTON TO BURTON:  Lincoln has a pair of outstanding point guards who happen to share a last name. Jonell Burton and John Burton (unrelated) each scored 20 points in the win over Pittsburg State, and Jonell, with 13.1 points per game, is third among the Blue Tigers in scoring. John, meanwhile, is averaging 7.9 points and has made 29 three-pointers on the season while shooting .433 from long distance, and rates 11th in the MIAA with 2.1 treys per game.

IVORY TOWER:  Amariontez Ivory scored at least 10 points in 21 of his 29 games last year, and is off to another strong start in 2018-19. Ivory led Lincoln with 20 points in the season-opener, then scored 21 against Lane. An All-MIAA honorable mention last year, Ivory now has tallied 14 total performances with 20-plus points and averages 13.6 points this season with 10 double-digit point performances in 2018-19.

THREE'S COMPANY:  Amariontez Ivory has been hot from beyond the arc, as he is ranked among the best in NCAA Division II in three-point shooting. Ivory ranks 27th in the nation with 3.1 treys per game, and his .489 shooting percentage from long range is also 10th.

AGENT SMITH:  Terrance Smith has doubled up in four games this season, including tallying season-highs in points (35) and rebounds (14) in LU's win over Missouri Southern. Smith, who also had double-doubles against Ecclesia, Missouri S&T and Northwest Missouri, leads the team with 18.1 points and 7.1 boards per game.

DIALING LONG DISTANCE:  Lincoln is once again one of the top teams in the MIAA in three-point shooting, as LU is second in the conference with a .436 percentage from long distance. That percentage is the second-best this year in NCAA Division II. LU is averaging 10.1 treys per night, the third-most in the conference.

HE GIVES AND HE TAKES:  Ni'Sean Rigmaiden has been a huge asset to the Blue Tigers in nearly every facet of the game, but especially in assists and steals, where he leads the team with 64 and 25, respectively. Rigmaiden, who is seventh in the MIAA in assists and fifth in total steals, also averages 12.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and had a 32-point game against Lindenwood on Jan. 12.

POINTS FOR FREE:  LU utilitzes its opportunities at the line, as the Blue Tigers are shooting .778 on free throws, a percentage that is second in the MIAA and 19th in NCAA Division II. Amariontez Ivory is 31-for-33 at the line while Terrance Smith's .870 free throw percentage rates sixth in the MIAA and 70th in Division II.

GRANTED:  Grant Olsson has stepped up his game in his second season with the Blue Tigers, as the senior averages 10.1 points and 4.1 boards per game. Olsson, a starter in 13 games this year, has scored in double figures in seven of the past eight games and has grabbed at least four boards in 10 contests.

RESERVATIONS:  You can reserve your seats for all of Lincoln's home games today! Reserved seats cost $100 and include admission to all of LU's regular season home games. To purchase your seats, visit https://14186.thankyou4caring.org/2017-18-sports-passes.

GEAR UP FOR THE GAME:  Lincoln fans can get everything they need for the game at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store for LU athletics. Everything from jerseys to office supplies can be found on the site, with a portion of all sales going to benefit Lincoln athletics.

NEXT UP:  Lincoln closes a three-game road trip in Bolivar, Mo. on Saturday (Jan. 19) when LU plays Southwest Baptist at 3:30 p.m. CST.