Complete Game Notes
Game #8: Missouri Western (4-5, 1-0 MIAA) at Lincoln (2-5, 0-1 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 7, 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: Faith & Family Day

THE TIP OFF:  Conference play continues in Jason Gym on Saturday (Dec. 7) as the Lincoln men's basketball team hosts Missouri Western at 3:00 p.m. CST. It will be the second MIAA game, and the second home game, of 2019-20 for the Blue Tigers, who lost on Thursday (Dec. 5) at Jason Gym to Northwest Missouri, the No. 1 team in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, by a score of 87-53. Lincoln will now try to end a four-game skid with a win over a Missouri Western team that is 1-0 in league play after winning,67-63, at Central Missouri on Thursday. After losing three of their first four games, the Griffons have bounced back to win three of their past five.

FAST BREAKS
- This will be the 45th meeting alltime between Lincoln and Missouri Western, with the Griffons holding a 33-11 advantage in the series.

- The Blue Tigers swept the Griffons last season, winning 79-68 in St. Joseph and 66-52 in Jefferson City.

- Lincoln has won five of the past six meeting against the Griffons, with Missouri Western's win coming in 2017-18 in Jason Gym.

- A win would give Lincoln a 1-1 or better start in its first two home games of a campaign for the fifth-straight season.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  L'Kielynn Taylor leads Lincoln with 9.1 rebounds per game while Jonell Burton is the top scorer with 19.4 points per night. Cameron Potts has done a bit of everything, leading Lincoln in assists (5.1 apg.) and steals (13) while averaging 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Marcel Burton averages 10.0 points and is shooting .750 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:  Northwest Missouri closed the first half on a 22-7 run en route to an 87-53 victory over Lincoln in Jason Gym on Thursday (Dec. 5). The Blue Tigers forced the defending national champions into 11 turnovers, but were out-rebounded 34-26. Jonell Burton led Lincoln with 18 points and eight rebounds and Cameron Potts chipped in 12 points while Marcel Burton added 11.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS:  Three Griffons are averaging double-digit points while a fourth, Reese Glover, is on the cusp with 9.3 points per night. Will Eames averages 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds while Tyrell Carroll is the top scorer (19.6) and Beau Baker is the leading rebounder (8.3). Tyus Millhollin, meanwhile, averages 12.9 points per contest.

MWSU HEAD COACH SUNDANCE WICKS:  Wicks, in his second season leading Missouri Western, owns a 16-23 record entering this weekend. Wicks previously was the associate head coach of his alma mater, Northern State, and helped the program to conference regular season and tournament championships in 2017-18.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES:  Jonell Burton, who is leading the Blue Tigers with 19.4 points per game, is currently fourth in the MIAA in scoring and fourth in total field goals made (54). Burton scored in double figures in each of the season's first five games, eclipsing the 20-point plateau twice, including pouring in 40 vs. Harris-Stowe.

BACK IN JASON:  The Lincoln men spent the entire month of November on the road, with the only game on the court of Jason Gym being an exhibition contest against Livin' The Dream. LU didn't have a true home game until December, as Lincoln openend the month in Jason Gym against Northwest Missouri. In the first two months of 2019-20, LU plays just three home games

ON THE OFFENSIVE:  L'Kielynn Taylor already has 21 offensive rebounds on the season, ranking fourth in the MIAA and 68th in DII early in the year with 3.0 offensive boards per game. Taylor, who is fourth in the league in total rebounding (9.1) and fifth in defensive rebounding (6.1), is 49th in Division II in rebounds per game.

MASTER THIEF:  Cameron Potts has notched 13 steals during the first seven games of the year and is fifth in the MIAA with 1.9 steals per game. Potts, who ranks 117th in Division II in steals per contest, has helped LU average 6.3 steals/game.

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 57th in Division II with 5.1 assists per game. Potts, who is fourth in the MIAA in assists, also has the league's eighth-best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).

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 eighth in the league, allowing opponents to shoot just .330 beyond the arc.

D-D-D-DEFENSE:  In addition to being tough along the perimeter, Lincoln has been strong all around while on defense, ranking 88th nationally with 70.7 points allowed per contest. The Blue Tigers, who are seventh in the MIAA in both defensive rebounding (26.4) and offensive rebounding (10.8), are fifth in the conference with 39.0 boards per night.

FIELD TACTICS:  Six Blue Tigers are posting a field goal percentage of .400 or higher, with Jordan Notch (.607), Cameron Potts (.538) and L'Kielynn Taylor (.500) making at least 50-percent of their attempts. As a team, LU is shooting .426 from the field while holding opponents to .420 shooting, with that field goal defense ranking 80th in NCAA Division II.

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.

CAREER 40:  Jonell Burton scored a career-high 40 points against Harris-Stowe, with that total tied for the seventh-most in a single game by any NCAA Division II player in 2019-20. It is also the second-most in a game by an MIAA player, with only Northwest Missouri's Ryan Hawkins having scored more in a contest (44).

REJECTIONS:  Lincoln has blocked 24 shots in 2019-20, with the 3.4 rejections per game ranking sixth in the MIAA. Jonell Burton, a member of the MIAA All-Defensive team in 2018-19, leads the Blue Tigers with eight rejections while Cameron Potts is next with five blocks.

NOTCHING SOME HELP:  Jordan Notch, an every-game starter, has stepped up his play the last three games, notable tallying 12 points and nine boards against Maryville. Notch, who was 6-for-8 from the floor in that contest, has averaged 7.7 points during that span and has 14 rebounds, two blocks and a pair of assists.

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 plays its second home game of the year on Saturday (Dec. 7) as the Blue Tigers host Missouri Western at 3:00 p.m. CST.