Complete Game Notes
Game #30: Lincoln (18-11) vs. No. 1 Northwest Missouri (30-0)
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2019
Time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Site: Municipal Auditorium (9,700) in Kansas City, Mo.
Tickets: Adults - $20.00 | Students - $5.00
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Audio: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Special Event: MIAA Basketball Championship Semifinals
 
THE TIP OFF:  The Blue Tigers are back in Kansas City on Saturday (March 9) as the Lincoln men's basketball team takes on Northwest Missouri in the semifinals of the MIAA Championship. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CST for the third meeting of the season between the two teams, with NWMSU winning each of the first two during the regular season. The Bearcats are 30-0 and have the No. 1 ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll and beat Emporia State, 82-79, on Thursday (March 7) to advance to the MIAA semifinals. Lincoln, meanwhile, is 18-11 on the year and defeated Fort Hays State in the quarterfinals, 74-69, on Friday (March 8).
 
FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Northwest Missouri meet for the 80th time on Saturday, with NWMSU leading the series, 49-30. The last LU win in the rivalry was a 79-74 win over a No. 25-ranked Bearcat team in Jason Gym in 2015-16.
 
- LU is making its first trip to the semifinals of the MIAA Championship since 1987.
 
- LU ended the year 10-9 in league play, its first winning record in MIAA play since 1986-87 (9-5).
 
- With 17 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.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Terrance Smith leads Lincoln with 16.2 points and 6.8 boards per night while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads LU with 5.0 assists while scoring 11.0 per night. Amariontez Ivory (13.2 ppg.) and Jonell Burton (13.7 ppg.) are LU's other offensive leaders, and L'Kielynn Taylor is averaging 5.1 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:  Grant Olsson scored 23 points, including 17 in the first half, and Jonell Burton added 22 points and nine boards as Lincoln beat Fort Hays State, 74-69, in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship on Friday (March 8). Ni'Sean Rigmaiden added 12 points and 11 assists as LU shot .500 overall and .444 from beyond the arc with 12 total treys. Terrance Smith chipped in nine points and Amariontez Ivory grabbed eight rebounds.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS:  Joey Witthus leads NWMSU with 20.7 ppg. and Trevor Hudgins averages 18.7 while Ryan Hawkins (14.3) and Diego Bernard (11.6) are also having strong scoring seasons. Hawkins is averaging close to a double-double, as he leads Northwest Missouri with 9.2 rebounds per game.
 
NWMSU HEAD COACH BEN McCOLLUM:  In 10 seasons, McCollum has led NWMSU to 233 wins and six MIAA regular season titles. In 2017, McCollum directed the Bearcats to the NCAA Division II National Championship as well as MIAA regular season and tournament titles. McCollum played at NWMSU and led the Bearcats to the Elite Eight in 2001-02.
 
ALL-MIAA:  Terrance Smith was named to the All-MIAA second team after leading LU in both scoring and rebounding, and was one of four Blue Tigers to receive all-league honors. Jonell Burton, Amariontez Ivory and Grant Olsson were all selected as All-MIAA honorable mentions, and Burton was additionally named to the MIAA All-Defensive team.
 
BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT:  Lincoln has clinched its fourth-straight trip to the postseason and will play Northwest Missouri in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium this Saturday. LU has the fifth seed in the tournament, the highest that the Blue Tigers have been seeded over the past four years. In three of its last four trips to the postseason, Lincoln won its first playoff game, and this year is making its third trip in four years to the historic Municipal Auditorium.
 
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 .482. The Blue Tigers, who rank 27th in DII in three-point percentage (.398) and 46th in total field goal percentage, are 17-4 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 13.7 points per game, is second among LU players in scoring. John, meanwhile, is averaging 5.8 points and shooting .352 from long distance.
 
TOURNAMENT TIME:  Lincoln is making its seventh trip to the MIAA Postseason Tournament and its fourth in the past four years this week. LU has twice advanced to the championship game, losing to Truman State in 1981 and falling to Southeastern Missouri in 1987. Overall, LU is 6-6 in MIAA tournament games, including 2-1 in overtime.
 
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 18 total performances with 20-plus points, including a 30-point day at Emporia State, and averages 13.2 points this season with 18 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 19th in NCAA Division II in three-point defense (.322). While opponents have attempted 631 shots from downtown, Lincoln has allowed just 203 treys.
 
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 13th in the nation and is leading the MIAA with a .455 three-point percentage, & he has made 86 total treys, the 45th-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 .482, 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 16.2 points and 6.8 boards per game.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  After leading Lincoln to three-straight victories, including a win over then 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 and 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 .400 percentage from long distance. That percentage is the 27th-best this year in NCAA Division II. LU is averaging 9.4 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 141 and 38, respectively. Rigmaiden, who is third in the MIAA in assists and third in total steals, also averages 11.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
 
ALL-DEFENSE:  Jonell Burton made history for Lincoln with his selection to the All-MIAA Defensive team. Burton, who averaged 5.3 rebounds for the season, is the first-ever LU men's basketball player named to the all-defensive squad. Burton led Lincoln with 28 blocks and also had 20 steals on the year.
 
LU PLAYS ON KJLU: Fans who can't make it to Kansas City will be able to listen to Lincoln's game at home or online courtesy of 88.9 FM KJLU. Broadcasters James Stanley and Cam Thomas will have Saturday's call from Municipal Auditorium.
 
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:  With a win, LU would advance to the MIAA Championship game and play on Sunday (March 10) at 1:00 p.m. CST.