Complete Game Notes
Game #28: Central Missouri (14-13, 7-11 MIAA) at Lincoln (16-11, 9-9 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, March 2, 2019
Time: 2:00 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: Senior Day
 
THE TIP OFF:  The end of the regular season has come for the Lincoln men's basketball team, which takes on Central Missouri in Jason Gym on Saturday (March 2). Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CST for this rematch of a game from Jan. 16, which Central Missouri won, 71-55, in Warrensburg. The Blue Tigers have clinched a spot in the 2019 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship for the fourth-year in a row, but are currently on a six-game skid and will try to create some momentum heading into the postseason. At 7-11 in conference play, UCM is trying to secure a playoff berth, but has dropped two of its past three games. Lincoln, meanwhile, currently has the fifth seed in the tournament, and could finish anywhere from fifth through seventh in the league standings.
 
FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Central Missouri meet for the 94th time on Saturday. The Mules lead the all-time series, 59-34.
 
- The teams have split the past two meetings, with UCM winning in Warrensburg, 71-55, earlier this year, and LU winning at home, 79-65, in Jason Gym last season.
 
- With 16 wins, LU has secured a fourth-straight winning season for the first time since posting eight-consecutive winning seasons from 1971-72 through 1978-79.
 
- Lincoln is one win away from recording 10 conference wins in a season for the first time since 2015-16.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Terrance Smith leads Lincoln with 16.7 points and 6.9 boards per night while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads LU with 4.8 assists while scoring 11.0 per night. Amariontez Ivory (13.3 ppg.) and Jonell Burton (13.4 ppg.) are LU's other offensive leaders, and L'Kielynn Taylor is averaging 5.3 rebounds.
 
HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY:  Now in his fifth 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:  Southwest Baptist shot .580 from the floor and .450 from three-point range to slip past the Blue Tigers, 82-78, on Wednesday night (Feb. 27). Terrance Smith led Lincoln with 25 points and nine rebounds, and Jonell Burton added 27 points and eight boards. LU shot .473 from the floor and .857 at the line in a game that featured five ties and nine total lead changes.
 
SCOUTING THE MULES:  Central Missouri has been out-rebounded by an average of 34.9-32.9 and averages nearly as many points (68.3) as it allows (69.0). Leading the Mules offensively are Jafar Kinsey (12.9 ppg.), Jakob Lowrance (12.5) and Blake Spellman (10.2), with Lowrance's 6.6 rebounding average leading the team. Fourth on the scoring list is Daniel Farris (9.3), who leads the team with 98 assists and 36 steals.
 
UCM HEAD COACH DOUG KARLESKINT:  In his fifth season as the head coach of the Mules, Karleskint has directed Central Missouri to more than 90 wins and a trip to the NCAA Division II tournament. Karleskint came to UCM after a four-year career at Arkansas Tech in which he won 89 games and made the NCAA tournament every year.
 
SENIOR DAY:  Before the start of Saturday's game, a special ceremony will be held to honor Lincoln's graduating seniors. Five Blue Tigers will play in Jason Gym for the final time: John Burton, Amariontez Ivory, Grant Olsson, Darrius Spencer and Terrance Smith. Over the past two years, this group has posted consecutive winning seasons and made two trips to the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship tournament.
 
BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT:  Last week, LU clinched its fourth-straight trip to the postseason. The Blue Tigers, with nine wins in MIAA play, are currently fifth in the league standings, and, depending on how the final games turn out, could finish between fifth and seventh. All MIAA tournament games will be played inside Municipal Auditorium, and Lincoln is going to make its third trip in four years to the Muni.
 
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT:  Grant Olsson, a senior physics major with a 4.0 GPA, was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 7 first team on Feb. 21. Olsson, one of only two MIAA players on the all-district team, is the second Blue Tiger to earn the recognition, following Joshua Buie, who was honored in 2015.
 
WINNER, WINNER:  With its win over Emporia State, Lincoln clinched its 15th win of the year and a fourth-straight winning season. LU went 16-14 in 2015-16, 17-13 in 2016-17 and 15-14 last season. This marks the first time that LU has had four-straight winning seasons since posting eight consecutive winning campaigns from 1971-72 through 1978-79.
 
SHOOTING STARS:  LU ranks among the best teams in the MIAA in making baskets, as Lincoln is third in the league in field goal percentage at .478. The Blue Tigers, who rank 28th in DII in three-point percentage (.395) and 50th in total field goal percentage, are 15-4 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 name. Jonell Burton and John Burton (unrelated) each scored 20 points in the win over Pittsburg State, and Jonell, with 13.4 points per game, is second among LU players in scoring. John, meanwhile, is averaging 5.9 points and shooting .347 from long distance.
 
TOURNAMENT TIME:  Lincoln will make its seventh trip to the MIAA Postseason Tournament and its fourth in the past four years next week. LU has twice advanced to the championship game, losing to Truman State in 1981 and falling to Southeastern Missouri in 1987.
 
IVORY TOWER:  Amariontez Ivory scored at least 10 points in 21 of his 29 games last year, and is having another stellar season in 2018-19. An All-MIAA honorable mention last year, Ivory now has tallied 17 total performances with 20-plus points, including a 30-point day at Emporia State, and averages 13.3 points this season with 17 double-digit point performances in 2018-19.
 
DOWNTOWN'S CLOSED:  Teams have had a hard time making three's against Lincoln, as the Blue Tigers lead the MIAA and rank 15th in NCAA Division II in three-point defense (.315). While opponents have attempted 585 shots from downtown, Lincoln has allowed just 184 treys this season.
 
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 18th in the nation and is second in the MIAA with a .451 three-point percentage, & he has made 79 total treys, the 48th-most by a DII player.
 
BREAK THAT RECORD:  The 2018-19 Blue Tigers have the chance to break some season records. With a .760 free throw accuracy rate, LU is poised to break the 2017-18 record of .735, and with a field goal percentage of .478, Lincoln is making a run at the record percentage of .489 from 1966-67.
 
AGENT SMITH:  Terrance Smith has doubled up in five games this season, including tallying season-highs in points (35) and rebounds (14) in LU's win over Missouri Southern. Smith, who also posted double-doubles against Ecclesia, Missouri S&T, Northwest Missouri and Emporia State, leads the team with 16.7 points and 6.9 boards per game.
 
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 named as the MIAA Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 7. Smith, who scored 35 points and grabbed 14 boards vs. MSSU, averaged 21.7 points & 8.3 rebounds that week.
 
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 .395 percentage from long distance. That percentage is the 28th-best this year in NCAA Division II. LU is averaging 9.2 treys per night, the fourth-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 120 and 35, respectively. Rigmaiden, who is fourth in the MIAA in assists and fourth in total steals, also averages 11.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
 
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 will advance to the MIAA tournament in Kansas City. LU's opponent and next game date are still to be determined.

WITH A WIN ON SATURDAY...:  If Lincoln wins on Saturday, the Blue Tigers will finish fifth in the MIAA standings and play Fort Hays State in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City on Friday (March 8) at 12:00 p.m. CST.

WITH A LOSS ON SATURDAY...: If Lincoln loses, depending on how various tie-breakers shake out, LU could finish fifth, sixth of seventh. If the Blue Tigers are sixth, they will play Friday at 2:15 p.m. CST in Kansas City against either Washburn or Missouri Southern. If Lincoln is seventh, the Blue Tigers will play in Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday (March 6) at 2:15 p.m. CST.