Complete Game Notes
Game #17: Northeastern State (4-13, 1-7 MIAA) at Lincoln (9-7, 1-6 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, January 24, 2019
Time: 5:30 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/
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/

THE TIP OFF:  It's back to Jason Gym for the Lincoln women's basketball team, which hosts Northeastern State on Thursday night (Jan. 24) at 5:30 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers will try to rebound from a heart-breaking loss at Southwest Baptist on Saturday (Jan. 29), as the Bearcats rallied from a late nine-point deficit to beat LU, 68-67, on a basket in the final seconds. After starting the season 7-0, Lincoln has dropped its last five games and is 9-7 overall and seeking its second MIAA victory of the 2018-19 season. Northeastern State is 1-7 in conference play and 4-13 overall, and is coming off a loss at home to Pittsburg State on Saturday. The RiverHawks are 2-7 on the road this seasonm including 0-4 in MIAA play.

FAST BREAKS
- Thursday marks the eighth meeting between Lincoln and Northeastern State. The Blue Tigers lead the series, 4-3, and has won each of the last two meetings in Jason Gym.

- The RiverHawks claimed the last meeting in the series, beating the Blue Tigers, 69-58, in Tahlequah, Okla., last season.

- After finishing with just four wins in 2017-18, Lincoln already has nine victories this year.

- A victory would give Lincoln its first 10-win season since going 12-14 in 2014-15.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Zhanesha Dickerson is nearly averaging a double-double with 15.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and Bre Coleman (14.0 ppg.), Zoi Thompson (15.6) and Tempary Gunter (8.9) are among Lincoln's other scoring leaders. Thompson averages team-highs in assists (4.7) and steals (1.7), while Alecia Gulledge (7.8 rpg.) and Alecia Kaelke (5.3 rpg.) are having strong seasons on the glass.

HEAD COACH AYANA McWILLIAMS:  A five-year veteran of the Division I ranks, McWilliams is in her third season as the head coach at Lincoln. In the past two years, the Blue Tigers have improved defensively in nearly every category. McWilliams previously worked as an assistant at South Carolina Upstate, a Division I program, and also was an assistant at Elizabeth City.

LAST TIME OUT:  The Blue Tigers led for nearly the entire game, including holding a nine-point advantage with 3:15 remaining, but Southwest Baptist rallied in the final minutes to stun Lincoln on a late layup, 68-67, on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 19). Bre Coleman had a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Zhanesha Dickerson scored 24 while Kaloni Pryear chipped in 16.

SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS:  Bailee Eldred averages 11.9 points and a team-high 7.5 boards while Cenia Hayes (13.1 ppg.) and Cailyn Long (12.0 ppg.) are also scoring in double figures. The RiverHawks are allowing 67.7 points per night while scoring 63.2 points, and are out-rebounded 39.4-37.3.

NSU HEAD COACH FALA BULLOCK:  An NSU alumna, Bullock took over as the head coach of the RiverHawks last year. Bullock previously was the head coach at Armstrong State, where she won 60 games, including 21 in a 2013-14 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II tournament. Bullock began her coaching career as an assistant at Northeastern State, and spent two seasons as the head coach of Central Georgia.

LEAGUE LEADER:  Zoi Thompson led the Blue Tigers in November, earning MIAA Player of the Week accolades after nearly recording a triple double in a win over Stephens. Thompson ranks second in the MIAA in assists with 4.7 per game, and rates sixth in the league in scoring (15.6 ppg.) and fifth in field goal percentage (.411).

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES:  With a pair of 27-point performances this season, Zoi Thompson has emerged as one of the MIAA's top scorers. Thompson, who is 137th in NCAA Division II in total field goals made (92) and 115th in points per game (15.6), is enjoying the best scoring season by a Blue Tiger since Andrea Sykes averaged 17.5 points in 1998-99.

DOUBLE UP:  Seven times this year Zhanesha Dickerson has posted a double-double and leads the MIAA while ranking 40th in DII in double-doubles on the season. Dickerson, who is nearly averaging a double-double for the season, is fourth in the league in scoring (15.8 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (8.4 rpg.) and ranks 104th in Division II in rebounding average as well as 108th in points per game.

GULL ON THE GLASS:  Alecia Gulledge has emerged as one of Lincoln's leaders on the glass, grabbing 7.8 boards per game, the sixth-most in the MIAA. Gulledge tallied a season-high 18 rebounds against Blackburn and posted her first double-double against Robert Morris-Springfield with 17 points and 12 boards.

NATIONALLY RANKED:  Lincoln has been a tough team to score against, as LU is 63rd in the country in scoring defense (60.4) while rating 105th nationally in field goal defense (.384). LU is also 26th in the country in rebound margin (+7.6), 62nd in DII in scoring margin (+9.6) and 58th nationally in field goal percentage (.430). In the individual statistics, Zoi Thompson rates 32nd in assists per game (4.7) and 57th in total assists with 71 on the year.

TEMPARY SUCCESS:  Tempary Gunter has made her senior season a memorable one. In addition to starting all nine of LU's wins, Gunter hit the game-winning shot vs. McKendree before scoring a career-high 20 points against Blackburn. For the season, Gunter is averaging 8.9 points on .423 shooting, and also has 11 steals on the year.

BRE IS BACK:  Bre Coleman, Lincoln's leader in scoring and rebounding in 2017-18, has made a big impact on both sides of the ball since returning to the lineup in mid-December. Coleman is averaging 14.0 ppg. and 8.4 rpg., and has 13 steals while averaging just 26.6 minutes per contest.

REBOUNDING:  A big factor in Lincoln's improvement to 9-7 after a four-win campaign in 2017-18 has been on the glass, as Lincoln has out-rebounded opponents in 11 of its 16 contests. LU owns a rebound margin of +7.6, the second-best in the MIAA. Zhanesha Dickerson is second in the MIAA with 8.4 rebounds per game while Alecia Gulledge is sixth at 7.8 rebounds per game.

HOME, SWEET HOME:  For the first time since 2010-11, when the Blue Tigers had 15 home games and 11 road tilts, Lincoln will play more contests at home than it will true road games. The Blue Tigers play 12 games in Jason Gym, including five of their final seven contests of the year, with just nine true road games on the schedule.

SECOND CHANCES:  Lincoln has found ways to extend its possessions, leading the MIAA and ranking 42nd in Division II with 15.0 offensive rebounds per game. The Blue Tigers, who have 234 offensive boards on the year, have scored 201 second chance points in 2018-19.

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:  Get your Blue Tiger jerseys, apparel, accessories, office supplies and much, much more at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store of LU athletics. You can get everything you will need for basketball season, with a portion of all sales going directly to support all 12 LU athletic programs.

NEXT UP:  The Blue Tigers are back in Jason Gym on Saturday (Jan. 26), as Central Oklahoma visits for a 1:00 p.m. CST contest.