Complete Game Notes
Game #12: Pittsburg State (9-2, 2-0 MIAA) at Lincoln (8-3, 1-1 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, January 3, 2019
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jason Gym (1,538) in Jefferson City, Mo.
Tickets: Adults - $5.00 | LU Faculty & Staff/Non-LU Students - $3.00 | LU Students & Kids 5 and Under – Free
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  It's back to MIAA play for the Lincoln men's basketball team, which hosts Pittsburg State on Thursday (Jan. 3) at 7:30 p.m. CST. It's the first of 17-straight conference contests to end the season for the Blue Tigers, who are 1-1 in league play and 8-3 overall after beating Culver-Stockton, 80-53, on Sunday (Dec. 30) for their fourth win in a row. Thursday's game will be a rematch of last year's MIAA Championship first round game, as Pittsburg State ended LU's season with an 81-60 win in Pittsburg, Kan. last February. The Gorillas are 2-0 in MIAA play and 9-2 on the year, but will play their first true road game of 2018-19 in Jason Gym on Thursday.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Pittsburg State meet for the 38th time on Thursday, with the Gorillas leading the all-time series, 30-7. Pittsburg State won the last meeting, 81-60, in the first round of the MIAA tournament in Pittsburg, Kan. on Feb. 27, 2018.

- The Blue Tigers have won four of their last six contests against Pittsburg State, including each of the past three games in Jason Gym.

- Lincoln will attempt to win a home league opener for the first time since 2015-16 (Central Oklahoma, 84-79).

- LU is seeking its first five-game winning streak since 2015-16.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Terrance Smith leads Lincoln with 16.5 points and 6.6 boards per night while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads LU with 4.4 assists while scoring 10.5 per night. Amariontez Ivory (14.0 ppg.) and Jonell Burton (13.0 ppg.) are LU's other offensive leaders, and L'Kielynn Taylor is averaging 4.9 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. Over the past two years, Moseley has guided Lincoln to 32 victories.

LAST TIME OUT:  Five Lincoln players scored in double figures as the Blue Tigers beat Culver-Stockton, 80-53, in Jason Gym on Sunday (Dec. 30). Terrance Smith and Jonell Burton each had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Grant Olsson scored 11 while John Burton chipped in 10 points. Ni'Sean Rigmaiden added 12 points and a pair of steals while Amariontez Ivory also had a stellar performance with nine points, five boards, three assists and a pair of blocks.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS:  Pittsburg State boasts a pair of the MIAA's top scorers in Grant Lozoya (26.8 ppg.) and Donovan Franklin (20.1 ppg.), with the pair ranking first and fourth in the league, respectively. Lozoya leads the team with 3.1 assists while Franklin averages a team-high 6.7 rebounds.

PSU HEAD COACH KIM ANDERSON:  In two years leading the Gorillas, Kim Anderson has won 26 games and taken PSU to the postseason. No stranger to the MIAA, Anderson spent 12 years at Central Missouri where he led the Mules to the Division II national championship in 2014. Anderson previously served as the head coach at Missouri, his alma mater, for three seasons.

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 13 total performances with 20-plus points and averages 14.0 points this season with nine double-digit point performances.

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 36th in the nation with 3.2 treys per game, and his .493 shooting percentage from long range is also 18th.

AGENT SMITH:  Terrance Smith has doubled up in three games this season, including tallying season-highs in points (30) and rebounds (12) in LU's win over Ecclesia. Smith, who also had double-doubles against Missouri S&T and Northwest Missouri, leads the team with 16.5 points and 6.6 boards per game. Smith also ranks 91st in NCAA Division II in total blocks (14).

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 .437 percentage from long distance. That percentage is the second-best this year in NCAA Division II. LU is averaging 9.8 treys per night, the third-most in the conference, and has made 108 overall treys in 2018-19.

BURTON TO BURTON:  Lincoln has a pair of outstanding point guards who just happen to share a last name. Jonell Burton and John Burton (unrelated) each scored in double figures in Lincoln's season-opening win, and Jonell, with 13.0 points per game, is third among the Blue Tigers in scoring. John, meanwhile, finished second in the MIAA in three-point shooting (.451) last year and is shooting .404 from long distance in 2018-19.

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 48 and 22, respectively. Rigmaiden, who is ninth in the MIAA in assists and second in total steals, also averages 10.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and had a 20-point game against Missouri Western.

GRANTED:  Grant Olsson has stepped up his game in his second season with the Blue Tigers, as the senior averages 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Olsson, a starter in 10 games this year, has scored in double figures in each of the past five games and has grabbed at least four rebounds in eight contests. A big factor in LU boasting the MIAA's second-best scoring defense, Olsson also has eight assists, three steals and two blocks on the year.

OFF THE GLASS:  The Blue Tigers have out-gained other teams in rebounds six times this year and, as a result, are third in the MIAA in rebound defense (32.2). Terrance Smith leads LU with 6.6 boards per game, followed by Jonell Burton (5.0) and L'Kielynn Taylor (4.9).

BLOCK PARTY:  Terrance Smith has blocked a pair of shots in six of Lincoln's 11 games, and his 14 rejections are the second-most in the MIAA and rank 91st in the country. As a team, Lincoln is second in the MIAA with 3.5 blocks per contest.

POINTS FOR FREE:  Lincoln takes advantage of its opportunities at the line, as the Blue Tigers are shooting .767 on free throws, a percentage that is fourth in the MIAA and 35th in NCAA Division II. Amariontez Ivory is 22-for-23 at the line while Terrance Smith's .889 free throw percentage rates fourth in the MIAA and 43rd in Division II.

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 remains at Jason Gym to play Missouri Southern on Saturday (Jan. 5) at 3:00 p.m. CST.