Complete Game Notes
Game #15: No. 10 Missouri Southern (13-2, 6-0 MIAA) at Lincoln (6-8, 3-2 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020
Time: 7:30 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/

THE TIP OFF:  Fresh off an overtime win against Central Missouri, the Lincoln men's basketball team takes on the No. 10 team in the country when Missouri Southern visits Jason Gym on Thursday night (Jan. 16). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CST as the Blue Tigers, who previously hosted No. 2 Northwest Missouri, will play their second ranked opponent of the season. MSSU moved into the top-10 of the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll this week after defeating Newman, 79-49, on Saturday to run its winning streak up to six games. LU, which is 3-1 at home in 2019-20, edged the Mules, 88-84, last Saturday (Jan. 11) and will try to pick up its fourth win in its past five games on Thursday evening.

FAST BREAKS
- This is the 39th meeting between Lincoln and Missouri Southern, with the Lions leading the all-time series, 28-11.

- The Blue Tigers won their last meeting with Missouri Southern, as Lincoln defeated the Lions in Jason Gym, 90-83, last season.

- Lincoln is seeking its first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since that victory against Missouri Southern, then ranked No. 20, back on Jan. 5, 2019.

- A victory would make Lincoln 4-1 in its first five home games for the third-straight season.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Three Blue Tigers are averaging at least 10 points per game, led by Jonell Burton, who poured in 40 against Harris-Stowe, with 15.8 per contest. Cameron Potts averages 12.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists, and Marcel Burton is next on the scoring chart with 10.7 points. L'Kielynn Taylor leads the Blue Tigers with 7.9 rebounds per night.

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:  Lamont Ballard, Jr. hit a three to help force overtime, and Cameron Potts made the game-winning layup as Lincoln beat Central Missouri, 88-84, on Saturday (Jan. 11). Ballard led LU with 18 points, Marcel Burton added 15 and Jonell Burton chipped in 12 as Lincoln won in OT for the second time in the past three games. Potts had 16 points to go with five assists, and Jordan Notch tallied 14 points while L'Kielynn Taylor led LU with nine boards and seven assists

SCOUTING THE LIONS:  Cam Martin is one of the best all-around players in the MIAA, leading the Lions with 21.3 ppg., 9.0 rpg. and 19 blocks. Kinzer Lambert (12.6 ppg.) and Elyjah Clark (12.2) are also scoring in double figures, while Reggie Tharp leads Missouri Southern with 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per night.

MSSU HEAD COACH JEFF BOSCHEE:  In his sixth season as the head coach of the Lions, and his 10th season with the progam overall, Boschee has led Missouri Southern to five DII tourney appearances over the past seven years. Boschee has thrice led the Lions to 20-win seasons and has guided the team to the postseason every year.

THREE PARTY:  Bansi King and Lamont Ballard, Jr. combined to make eight treys in the win over Central Missouri and have been leading LU from beyond the arc for most of the season. King, who has drained at least four treys in each of the past three games, has made 31 three-pointers this year while Ballard has drained 21, with both players shooting better than .395 from long distance.

BLOCK PARTY:  Opposing shooters have been stung by Jonell Burton many times in 2019-20, as his 15 blocks are the 10th-most by any MIAA player. Burton is averaging 1.3 blocks, the eighth-most in the MIAA.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES:  Jonell Burton, who is leading the Blue Tigers with 15.8 points per game, is currently eighth in the conference in scoring and 12th in total field goals made (73). Burton scored in double figures in each of the season's first five games, including pouring in 40 vs. Harris-Stowe.

ON THE GLASS:  L'Kielynn Taylor has led LU in rebounding for most of the season, pulling down five or more boards in 13 of LU's 14 games with double-digit performances against four teams. Taylor's 7.9 average is the fourth-best in the MIAA while his 111 total rebounds are the sixth-most by an MIAA player.

HOLD THE BALL:  LU has taken care of the ball, finishing with more turnovers than opponents in just four games. The Blue Tigers, who are 2-2 when turning over the ball more often than their opponent, rank fifth in the MIAA and 56th in the country in fewest turnovers (180).

WORKING OVERTIME:  With an 88-84 win over Central Missouri, Lincoln improved to 2-1 in overtime games in 2019-20. The Blue Tigers, who beat Newman on the road and fell to Harris-Stowe at a neutral site in their other OT games of the year, are 7-5 in overtime contests under head coach John Moseley.

ROAD WARRIORS:  With just 10 home games in 2019-20, Lincoln's goal of making the postseason for a fifth-straight year will largely be decided by its play on the road. After this weekend, LU will play eight of the next 12 games on the road all of which will be against MIAA opponents. For the season, Lincoln is 2-3 in true road games.

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 LU is currently sixth in the league, allowing its opponents to shoot just .333 beyond the arc.

FIELD TACTICS:  Ten Blue Tigers are posting a field goal percentage of .400 or higher, with Jordan Notch (.548), leading six Lincoln players making at least 50-percent of their shot attempts. As a team, LU is shooting .439 from the field while holding its opponents to .435 shooting, with that field goal defense ranking eighth in the conference and 123rd in the country.

HE GIVETH AND HE TAKETH:  Cameron Potts leads LU in both assists and steals, and is among the MIAA leaders in both categories as well. Potts is fourth in the league with 5.3 assists per night, the 42nd-most in the country, and has dropped at least six dimes in seven games in 2019-20. Potts also averages 1.9 steals, the fourth-most in the MIAA.

REJECTIONS:  Lincoln has blocked 39 shots in 2019-20, with the 2.8 rejections per game rating 10th in the MIAA. Jonell Burton, a member of the MIAA All-Defensive team in 2018-19, leads the Blue Tigers with 15 rejections while Jordan Notch is next with seven blocks.

NOTCHING SOME HELP:  Jordan Notch, who started the first seven games of the year, has stepped up his play the last 10 contests, with a 12 point and nine rebound game against Maryville. Notch poured in 11 points in the victory over Missouri Western and, over the past 10 games, is shooting 34-62 (.548) from the field.

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 hosts Pittsburg State to close a three-game homestand on Saturday (Jan. 18) at 3:00 p.m. CST.