Complete Game Notes
Game #4: Lincoln (2-1) vs. Harris-Stowe (2-2)
Date: Friday, Nov. 22, 2019
Time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Site: Chaifetz Arena (10,600) in St. Louis, Mo.
Tickets: Available at Site
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  A match-up of HBCUs is next for the Lincoln men's basketball team as the Blue Tigers travel to St. Louis, Mo. to play Harris-Stowe on Friday night (Nov. 22). Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST inside Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University as LU and HSSU play in the 2019 Show Me Classic. Lincoln is playing for a third-straight win. After suffering a one-point loss to Sioux Falls in the season opener, the Blue Tigers rebounded to beat Upper Iowa in Kansas City, Mo. before defeating Missouri S&T, 66-55, in their first true road game of 2019-20 last Wednesday (Nov. 13). The Hornets, meanwhile, are 2-2 on the season heading into a road game at Columbia College on Thursday night.

FAST BREAKS
- This will be the 22nd meeting between the Blue Tigers and the Hornets, with Lincoln owning a 20-1 advantage in the all-time series.

- This is the first meeting between Lincoln and Harris-Stowe since 2016-17, when the Blue Tigers defeated the Hornets, 80-57. That game was also played at a neutral site on the campus of Lindenwood University.

- A win would make LU 3-1 to start a season for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

- Under head coach John Moseley, Lincoln is 16-10 in games played at a neutral site.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  L'Kielynn Taylor leads Lincoln with 11.3 rebounds per game while Jonell Burton is the top scorer with 15.7 points per night. Cameron Potts has done a bit everything, leading Lincoln in assists (6.7 apg.) and steals (eight) while averaging 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. Marcel Burton averages 5.7 boards and is shooting .833 at the line.

HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY:  Now in his sixth season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers, Moseley has led LU to four-straight postseason appearances as well as four-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
Lincoln 66, Missouri S&T 55
Cameron Potts came one rebound shy of a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 10 assists and nine boards as Lincoln won its first true road game of the season, 66-55, over Missouri S&T on Wednesday (Nov. 13). Jonell Burton led LU with 17 points and Marcel Burton chipped in 12 while Lamont Ballard, Jr. provided 10 points.

Lincoln 84, Livin' The Dream 65 (Exhibition)
Bansi King led LU with 16 points and L'Kielynn Taylor and Joe Davis each scored 10 as Lincoln rolled to an 84-65 win on Monday night (Nov. 18). DaMani Jarrett has a team-high 10 rebounds while Cameron Potts provided seven assists and Marcus Cohen dished four.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Deshawn Munson has been on a tear, averaging 26.7 points and 11.0 rebounds to lead Harris-Stowe in both statistics. Duane Clark, Jr. (12.0 ppg.) and Elmelik Martin, Jr. (10.0 ppg.) are both scoring in double figures while Maurice Smith averages 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. Munson additionally leads HSSU in both assists (30) and steals (10).

HSSU HEAD COACH BRION DUNLAP:  In each of his first three seasons as the coach at Harris-Stowe, Dunalp has led the Hornets to winning records, including a 23-11 mark in 2017-18. The team has regularly finished among the top-10 in the NAIA in multiple statistics under Dunlap, who has 60 victories in four seasons.

ON THE OFFENSIVE:  L'Kielynn Taylor already has 12 offensive rebounds on the season, a total that ranks third in the MIAA and 22nd in DII early in the year. Taylor, who is second in the league in defensive rebounding (21), is averaging 11.3 boards per contest, rating him third in the MIAA and 14th in NCAA Division II.

MASTER THIEF:  Cameron Potts has notched eight steals during the first three games of the year and is leading the MIAA with 2.7 steals per game. Potts, who ranks 30th in Division II in steals per contest, has helped Lincoln rank fifth in the MIAA with 7.3 takeaways per contest.

THE GIVER:  When he's not taking the ball away from the other team, Cameron Potts is giving it to his teammates, as Potts ranks 14th in Division II with 6.7 assists per game. Potts, who leads the MIAA in assists, also has the league's third-best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).

ALL-MIAA:  Four Blue Tigers were named to the All-MIAA team last season, including returning senior Jonell Burton, who became the for Lincoln player selected to the league's all-defensive team. Burton averaged 5.5 rebounds and ended the year with 33 blocks and 24 steals. Burton, who also averaged 13.8 points, additionally garnered All-MIAA honorable mention accolades.

FEELING NEUTRAL:  Lincoln is playing four of its first five games on neutral courts, beginning with its season-opening games in Kansas City. On Nov. 22, LU plays Harris-Stowe on Saint Louis University's campus, and then, on Nov. 26, takes on Maryville on UMSL's court.

DOWNTOWN'S CLOSED:  Teams had a difficult time making three's against Lincoln last year, as the Blue Tigers ranked second in the MIAA and 42nd in NCAA Division II in three-point defense (.327). That trend has continued in 2019-20, as Lincoln is currently second in the league and 16th nationally, allowing opponents to shoot just .241.

D-D-D-DEFENSE:  In addition to being tough along the perimeter, Lincoln is one of the MIAA's leaders in total defense, allowing 59.3 points per game, the 13th-fewest in Division II. LU is also ninth nationally in field goal defense (.343), 26th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (30.7) and fifth in the MIAA in steals per game (7.3).

ON THE LINE:  Jonell Burton, Lincoln's top-returner in terms of points per game, is leading the Blue Tigers with 15.7 points per contest. 14 of his 47 points have come at the free throw line, where Burton is shooting .778, the 15th-best percentage by an MIAA player. The 14 free throws are the seventh-most in the league while his 18 attempts are ranked eighth.

SLIDING UP THE POLLS:  Lincoln received quite a bit of respect from around the MIAA in the league's preseason polls. In the coaches poll, the Blue Tigers received 93 points to be picked seventh in the 14-team league. In the media poll, Lincoln collected 156 points and was selected sixth in the conference.

THREE FOR THREE:  Lincoln has used a new lineup in each of its first three contests, with just three players starting all three games. Cameron Potts, L'Kielynn Taylor and Jordan Notch are LU's only every-game starters.

IT'S A CLASSIC:  Tickets are now on sale for the Show Me Classic, a basketball game at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University between Lincoln and Harris-Stowe. Visit www.lubluetigers.com/smc2019 to reserve your seats for the Nov. 22 match-up of HBCUs.

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 travels to St. Louis, Mo. for the UMSL Thanksgiving Classic, facing Maryville on Tuesday (Nov. 26) at 3:00 p.m. CST and host Missouri-St. Louis on Wednesday (Nov. 27) at 1:00 p.m. CST.