Complete Game Notes
Game #1: Sioux Falls (19-11 in 2018-19) vs. Lincoln (18-12 in 2018-19)
Date: Friday, Nov. 8, 2019
Time: 6:45 p.m. CST
Location: Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

Game #2: Lincoln vs. Upper Iowa (7-22 in 2018-19)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019
Time: 6:45 p.m. CST
Location: Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team tips off its season this weekend at the MIAA Challenge, as LU will play a pair of games in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Blue Tigers open 2019-20 against Sioux Falls on Friday (Nov. 8) before playing Upper Iowa on Saturday (Nov. 9), with both contests scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. CST. Lincoln is opening 2019-20 on the same court where its 2018-19 season ended, as last year's Blue Tiger team advanced to the semifinals of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship, which is annually held in Municipal Auditorium, before falling to eventual NCAA Division II champion Northwest Missouri. LU went 18-12 last year and will play a Sioux Falls team that went 19-11 a year ago and an Upper Iowa squad that is coming off a 7-22 season.

FAST BREAKS
- This will be the first-ever meeting between Lincoln and Sioux Falls.

- The Blue Tigers have only played Upper Iowa once, with LU edging the Peacocks, 68-67, in 2006-07.

- Under head coach John Moseley, Lincoln is 15-9 in games played at a neutral site, including 2-3 in Municipal Auditorium.

- With 18 wins in 2018-19, Lincoln secured a fourth-straight winning season for the first time since posting eight-consecutive winning years from 1971-72 to 1978-79.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln has four returners from its 2018-19 squad, led by Jonell Burton, an MIAA All-Defensive Team selection as well as an all-league honorable mention. Burton 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds, while fellow returner L'Kielynn Taylor tallied 5.0 rebounds per contest.

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.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS:  Sioux Falls lost a pair of All-NSIC players after last year's 19-11 campaign, but brings back two starters who each made a big impact a year ago. Chase Grinde shot .512 from the floor and averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while Teathloach Pal averaged 4.2 points and 5.6 boards while shooting .533 from the floor.

USF HEAD COACH CHRIS JOHNSON:  In his 12th year at Sioux Falls, Chris Johnson has led the Cougars to five 20-win seasons, three postseason appearances and a pair of conference tournament championships. Johnson, who has directed the Cougars to 39 wins over the past two seasons, spent the 2004-05 campaign at Culver-Stockton, and was named the HAAC Coach of the Year.

SCOUTING THE PEACOCKS:  Upper Iowa brings back 10 players from a 2018-19 squad that went 7-22, including three of its top-five scorers. Joe Smoldt led the program with 14.7 points per game and 91 total assists, while Jareese Williams was second on the scoring chart with 13.5 ppg. Chris Olson, who averaged 10.3 ppg. and dished 76 assists, also returns.

UIU HEAD COACH BROOKS McKOWEN:  The seventh-year coach of Upper Iowa has led the team to winning records four times and coached the program's first-ever NSIC Defensive Player of the Year. Prior to taking over at UIU, McKowen was the top assistant at Southwest Minnesota State, helping the Mustangs post a 35-25 record during his two years on the coaching staff.

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, was also garnered All-MIAA honorable mention accolades.

REGULAR SEASON AT THE MUNI:  This marks the second regular season in a row that the Blue Tigers will play a game at Municipal Auditorium, the venue that annually serves as the site for the MIAA Championship tournament. Last season, Lincoln beat Missouri S&T, 71-63, in the regular season before defeating Fort Hays State on the same court in the quarterfinals of the postseason tournament. While it counted as an exhibition, LU also played UMKC in Municipal Auditorium during the 2015-16 campaign and nearly upset the Division I program before falling, 73-72.

OPEN SEASON:  Lincoln has had a lot of success on the first week of the season under head coach John Moseley, opening the year either 1-1 or 2-0 in each of his first five years. LU beat East Central in its 2018-19 opener and will try to win the first game of the season for the second time in a row, and the fourth time in the past five seasons, when Lincoln plays Sioux Falls.

FEELING NEUTRAL:  Four of Lincoln's first five games in 2019-20 will be played on neutral courts, starting this weekend with two games in Kansas City. On Nov. 22, LU plays Harris-Stowe on Saint Louis University's campus, and then on Nov. 26, Lincoln will take on Maryville on UMSL's court.

SHOOTING STARS:  LU ranked among the best teams in the MIAA in making baskets in 2018-19, as Lincoln was third in the league in field goal percentage at .480. The Blue Tigers also ranked 22nd in DII in three-point percentage (.397) and 42nd in free throw percentage (.757).

DOWNTOWN'S CLOSED:  Teams had a hard 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). While opponents attempted 655 shots from downtown, Lincoln allowed just 214 successful treys.

BREAK THAT RECORD:  The 2018-19 Blue Tigers broke a couple program records. With a .757 free throw accuracy rate, LU broke the single season record of .735, which had just been set the previous year. Lincoln also ended the year with 280 three-pointers, setting a new single season record in that category as well.

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.

LT IN THE KEY:  L'Kielynn Taylor was a critical part of LU's rotation in 2018-19, appearing in 30 contests while making two starts. Taylor especially made his presence felt as a defender, collecting 5.0 rebounds per game, the third-most on the team. Taylor, who finished among the top-20 in the MIAA in offensive and defensive rebounding, also notched six blocks and 21 steals.

PRESEASON RECAP:  Lincoln played Southeast Missouri, an NCAA Division I team, on Nov. 2 in a preseason contest. The Blue Tigers played the Redhawks tough, forcing 23 turnovers and giving up just six treys on the evening, but LU fell to SEMO, 73-56

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:  The Blue Tigers will play their first road game of 2019-20 on Wednesday (Nov. 13) as LU travels to Rolla, Mo. to play Missouri S&T at 7:30 p.m. CST.