Complete Game Notes
Game #20: Emporia State (10-9, 4-6 MIAA) at Lincoln (7-12, 4-6 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020
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/

THE TIP OFF:  The final month of the season tips off in Jason Gym on Saturday (Feb. 1) when the Lincoln men's basketball team hosts Emporia State at 3:00 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers will seek to end a three-game skid, as LU fell to Washburn, 75-50, on Wednesday night (Jan. 29). It will be one of the final three home games for Lincoln, which is on the road for six of its nine games in February. Emporia State is also trying to rebound from a loss, as the Hornets fell to Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo., 67-49, on Wednesday. Emporia State has dropped four of its past five games and six of its last eight, and is 0-5 in true road games in 2019-20. With this being the only match-up between the two teams this year, this game could have big tie-breaking ramifications, as both LU and ESU are both 4-6 in MIAA play.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Emporia State will meet for the 29th time on Saturday, with the Hornets leading the series, 18-10.

- The Blue Tigers beat Emporia State, 76,71, in Emporia, Kan. last season in the most recent meeting between the two teams.

- LU has won five of its past six games against ESU, with the lone loss coming in 2017-18 in Jefferson City.

- A win would improve the Blue Tigers to 5-3 in games played in Jason Gym this 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 14.1 per contest. Cameron Potts averages 12.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists, and Marcel Burton is next on the scoring chart with 10.1 points. L'Kielynn Taylor leads the Blue Tigers with 8.3 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:  Half of the 24 field goals that Washburn made were three-pointers, and WU held Lincoln to .339 shooting as the Ichabods beat the Blue Tigers, 75-50, on Wednesday (Jan. 29). Jonell Burton scored 10 points, Lamont Ballard, Jr. added nine and L'Kielynn Taylor grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Blue Tigers.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Emporia State has five players averaging nine points or more, led by Julius Jackson's 17.0 scoring average. Kooper Glick (13.3 ppg.), Malik Hluchoweckyj (11.7) and Justin Washington (11.1) all average more than 10 points per night while Sawyer Glick is next with 9.2 ppg. Hassan Thomas has blocked a team-high 21 shots, and Washington leads ESU with 6.5 boards per game.

ESU HEAD COACH CRAIG DOTY:  A three-time national champion head coach, Doty is now in his second season leading the Hornets. Doty led Graceland to the 2018 NAIA Division I national title, and won championships at Rock Valley in 2014 and 2016. In the five years prior to arriving at Emporia State, Doty coached teams to national game appearances.

ONE-NINER:  The Blue Tigers have utilized 11 different starting lineups in 2019-20, with no set of five players starting more than four contests together. The only constant has been L'Kielynn Taylor, as the senior has started all 19 games this year. Taylor, who is second on the team with 38 assists, has made two more starts than the next Blue Tiger, Marcel Burton, who has made 17.

CHIEF THIEF:  Cameron Potts has been one of the MIAA's best at taking away the ball, as his 31 steals lead the Blue Tigers and rank fifth in the conference. Potts is averaging 1.6 steals per game, also the fifth-most in the MIAA, and has made multiple takeaways in 11 games this season.

GO JOE:  After averaging fewer than 10 minutes in his first seven games of the season, Joe Davis came off the bench to play more than 20 minutes in three-straight contests, highlighted by a team-best 20 points vs. Pittsburg State. Davis scored 14 vs. Missouri State and 11 at Northeastern State.

SATURDAY, WHAT A DAY:  The seventh day of the week has been a good one for Lincoln, which is 5-2 this season in games played on Saturday. The Blue Tigers are 4-1 against MIAA opponents on Saturday, and are 3-0 on that day of the week in home games. The only other day of the week in which LU is even .500 is Wednesday, as the Blue Tigers are 2-2 on that day in 2019-20.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES:  Jonell Burton, who is leading the Blue Tigers with 14.1 points per game, is currently 13th in the MIAA in scoring and 14th in total field goals made (92). Burton scored in double figures in each of the season's first five games and has tallied at least 10 points in 13 of Lincoln's 19 contests.

ON THE GLASS:  L'Kielynn Taylor has pulled down five or more boards in 17 of LU's 19 games with double-digit performances vs. seven teams. His 8.3 average is the third-best in the MIAA and his 158 total rebounds are also third in the MIAA.

HOLD THE BALL:  LU has done a good job of taking care of the ball, finishing with more turnovers than opponents in just six games, with Lincoln possessing a 2-4 record in those contests. The Blue Tigers rank seventh in the MIAA and 100th in the country in fewest turnovers (250) while LU's +0.7 turnover margin ranks eighth in the league.

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 be decided by its play on the road. Starting next week, LU will play six of the next nine games on the road all of which will be against MIAA opponents. For the year, Lincoln is 2-5 in true road games.

FIELD TACTICS:  Eight Lincoln players are posting a field goal percentage of .400 or higher, with Joe Davis (.545), leading four Lincoln players making at least 50-percent of their shot attempts. As a team, LU is shooting .436 from the field and is 6-1 when finishing with a better field goal pct. than its opponents. Jonell Burton individually ranks 11th in the MIAA with a .438 field goal percentage.

HE GIVETH AND HE TAKETH:  Cameron Potts leads Lincoln with 89 assists on the year, and is one of the MIAA's leaders in that category as well. Potts is fourth in the conference in assists per game (4.7) and fifth in total assists, and his 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio is sixth in the league. In assists per game, Potts ranks 64th in NCAA Division II.

REJECTIONS:  Lincoln has blocked 51 shots in 2019-20, with the 2.7 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 19 rejections.

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:  The Blue Tigers return to the road next week, playing on Wednesday (Feb. 5) in St. Joseph, Mo. against Missouri Western.