Complete Game Notes
Game #18: Central Oklahoma (8-10, 1-8 MIAA) at Lincoln (12-5, 5-3 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, January 26, 2019
Time: 3:00 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/
Special Event: Coaches vs. Cancer Game

THE TIP OFF:  It's the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game at Lincoln on Saturday (Jan. 26) as the Blue Tigers host Central Oklahoma. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CST and the first 400 fans at Saturday's double-header will receive a free t-shirt. The Blue Tigers are 12-5 on the year and 5-3 in conference play after falling to Northeastern State, 80-72, in Jason Gym on Thursday night (Jan. 24). LU will attempt to get back in the win column against a Central Oklahoma team that is 1-8 in MIAA play after an 85-80 overtime loss at Lindenwood on Thursday.

FAST BREAKS
- Saturday marks the ninth meeting between Lincoln and Central Oklahoma, with the Bronchos leading the series, 7-1.

- The Bronchos have claimed the last three meetings in the series, with LU's victory being an 84-79 decision in Jefferson City in 2015-16.

- The Blue Tigers are 5-2 at Jason Gym this season with a 2-1 mark in home conference games.

- At 12-5, the Blue Tigers have posted double digit wins in a season for the fourth-straight year.

- With a win on Saturday, Lincoln would reach 13 wins in 18 games, marking the quickest LU has reached that mark under head coach John Moseley.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Terrance Smith leads Lincoln with 16.5 points and 6.7 boards per night while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads LU with 4.6 assists while scoring 12.4 per night. Amariontez Ivory (12.6 ppg.) and Jonell Burton (14.3 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:  Northeastern State out-scored Lincoln 13-2 in the final minutes to top the Blue Tigers, 80-72, on Thursday night (Jan. 24). Jonell Burton had a career night with 31 points and two blocks, and Grant Olsson added 15 points while L'Kielynn Taylor provided seven points and six rebounds. Ni'Sean Rigmaiden dished a game-high seven assists.

SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS:  UCO is nearly even with its opponents in both scoring (79.2-78.3) and rebounding (34.6-34.7) averages, and is shooting .445 from the floor and .796 at the free throw line. The Bronchos are led offensively by Adarius Avery, who averages nearly 20 points per night on .533 shooting, and Ashford Golden, who is scoring 15.8 points per game. Avery also leads UCO in rebounds (188) and assists (53).

UCO HEAD COACH TOM HANKINS:  Hankins is in his fourth year leading the Bronchos after an 18-year stint as an NCAA Division I assistant. Since taking over at Central Oklahoma, Hankins has posted three winning seasons and a trio of victories in the MIAA tournament. Prior to taking over at UCO, Hankins spent 15 years on the staff at Oral Roberts and three at Southern Illinois.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  After leading the LU men's basketball team to three-straight victories, including a win over No. 20 Missouri Southern, Terrance Smith was selected as the MIAA Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 7. Smith, who scored 35 points and grabbed 14 boards against No. 20 Missouri Southern, averaged 21.7 points and 8.3 rebounds for the week.

SHOOTING STARS:  LU ranks among the best teams in the MIAA in making baskets, as Lincoln is fourth in the league in field goal percentage at .481. The Blue Tigers, who rank ninth in DII in three-point percentage (.415) and 49th in total field goal percentage, are 11-1 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 14.3 points per game, is second among the Blue Tigers in scoring. John, meanwhile, is averaging 7.4 points and has made 34 three-pointers on the season while shooting .415 from long distance, and rates 12th 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 12.6 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 58th in the nation with 2.9 treys per game, and his .462 shooting percentage from long range is also 22nd.

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 16.5 points and 6.7 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 .415 percentage from long distance. That percentage is the ninth-best this year in NCAA Division II. LU is averaging 9.8 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 78 and 27, respectively. Rigmaiden, who is sixth in the MIAA in assists and second in total steals, also averages 12.4 points and 3.8 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 .762 on free throws, a percentage that is fourth in the MIAA and 34th in NCAA Division II. Amariontez Ivory is 33-for-36 at the line while Terrance Smith is shooting .806 and Jonell Burton shoots .852 at the charity stripe.

GRANTED:  Grant Olsson has stepped up his game in his second season with the Blue Tigers, as the senior averages 10.4 points and 4.0 boards per game. Olsson, a starter in 16 games this year, has scored in double figures in nine of the past 11 games and has grabbed at least four boards in 11 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 to the road on Thursday (Jan. 31) to play Washburn in Topeka, Kan. at 7:30 p.m. CST.