KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln men's basketball team started out hot, but a big first half by Northwest Missouri helped the Bearcats beat the Blue Tigers, 86-69, on Saturday (March 9) in the semifinals of the 2019 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship.

Jonell Burton nearly posted a double-double, leading the Blue Tigers with 18 points and nine rebounds while recording two assists, a pair of blocks and three steals. Grant Olsson and Amariontez Ivory each finished with 12 points, with Olsson securing four rebounds and Ivory dishing three assists.

Lincoln (18-11) opened the game on a 6-0 run, but Northwest Missouri, ranked No. 1 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, shot .552 overall in the first half en route to a 43-26 halftime lead. The Blue Tigers were held to just nine field goals in the first 20 minutes, but came back in the second half to shoot .500 overall while draining five treys.

Each teams scored 43 points in the second half, but NWMSU (31-0) ended the game with advantages in both rebounding (38-31) and turnovers (9-12). For the game, Lincoln shot .439 from the floor, but .308 from beyond the arc.

Terrance Smith had nine points and three assists for LU while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden tallied nine points, four boards, three assists and two steals. Darrius Spencer came off the bench to provide four points, four boards, a block and a steal.

John Burton contributed three points, four rebounds and two assists to the Blue Tiger cause, and TJ Babikir closed the scoring with two points, a board and a steal. L'Kielynn Taylor added two rebounds and an assist.