Complete Game Notes
Game #16: #RV Lincoln (11-4, 4-2 MIAA) at Southwest Baptist (8-7, 2-4 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, January 19, 2019
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Meyer Sports Complex (2,925) in Bolivar, Mo.
Tickets: Available at Site
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://www.sbubearcats.com/sidearmstats/mbball

THE TIP OFF:  After suffering its first defeat of 2019, the Lincoln men's basketball team will try to rebound when the Blue Tigers travel to Bolivar, Mo. to play Southwest Baptist on Saturday (Jan. 19). Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CST for this contest, the first of two meetings this year between the Blue Tigers and the Bearcats. Lincoln had a seven-game win streak snapped on Wednesday (Jan. 16) as LU fell to Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo., 71-55. LU will attempt to start a new win streak vs. a Southwest Baptist team that was 8-7 overall and 2-4 in MIAA play entering a Thursday night home contest vs. Lindenwood. Lincoln will host a rematch with Southwest Baptist in Jefferson City on Feb. 27.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Southwest Baptist meet for the 49th time on Saturday, with the Bearcats leading the series, 28-20. Lincoln has won each of the last four meetings.

- Under head coach John Moseley, the Blue Tigers are 9-4 in games played at the Meyer Sports Complex in Bolivar, Mo. That includes a 1-1 record this year, as Lincoln split two games in the SBU Classic back in November.

- Lincoln received nine votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll this week.

- At 11-4, the Blue Tigers have posted double digit wins in a season for the fourth-straight year.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Terrance Smith leads Lincoln with 17.9 points and 7.1 boards per night while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads LU with 4.5 assists while scoring 12.0 per night. Amariontez Ivory (13.3 ppg.) and Jonell Burton (13.1 ppg.) are LU's other offensive leaders, and L'Kielynn Taylor is averaging 5.2 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:  An uncharacteristically cold shooting night proved too much to overcome as the Blue Tigers lost on the road against Central Missouri, 71-55, on Wednesday (Jan. 16). Lincoln, normally one of the hottest teams in the country, shot .310 overall and .250 from three-point range. Terrance Smith led Lincoln with 15 points while Jonell Burton chipped in 13.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS:  Chris Rossow leads four Southwest Baptist players in double figures with 13.2 points per game and has dished a team-high 72 assists to go with 27 steals. Damian Prgomet averages 12.7 points and is followed on the offensive chart by Karim Mouliom (11.7 ppg.) and Godfrey Rolle (10.4). Mouliom, meanwhile, leads SBU in rebounding with 7.6 per night.

SBU HEAD COACH CLARK SHEEHY:  Now in his fifth year with the Bearcats, Sheehy joined SBU after a successful seven-year run at his alma mater, John Brown. Sheehy guided JBU to three NAIA tournament appearances, including an elite-eight trip in 2010. In his first season, Sheehy led the Bearcats back to the MIAA tourney, and in just over four years he has directed the Bearcats to more than 50 wins.

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 fifth in the conference in field goal percentage at .479. The Blue Tigers, who rank seventh in DII in three-point percentage (.423) and 55th 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 7.6 points and has made 30 three-pointers on the season while shooting .411 from long distance, and rates 15th in the MIAA with 2.0 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 13.3 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 37th in the nation with 3.0 treys per game, and his .479 shooting percentage from long range is also 14th.

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 17.9 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 .423 percentage from long distance. That percentage is the seventh-best this year in NCAA Division II. LU is averaging 9.9 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 68 and 26, respectively. Rigmaiden, who is seventh in the MIAA in assists and fourth in total steals, also averages 12.0 points and 3.7 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 .781 on free throws, a percentage that is second in the MIAA and 18th in NCAA Division II. Amariontez Ivory is 33-for-35 at the line while Terrance Smith's .857 free throw percentage rates sixth in the MIAA and 90th in Division II.

GRANTED:  Grant Olsson has stepped up his game in his second season with the Blue Tigers, as the senior averages 9.5 points and 3.9 boards per game. Olsson, a starter in 14 games this year, has scored in double figures in seven of the past nine 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:  The Blue Tigers return home to host Northeastern State next Thursday (Jan. 24) at 7:30 p.m. CST.