Complete Game Notes
Game #3: Lincoln (2-0, 2-0 MIAA) at Missouri Western (1-0, 1-0 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: St. Joseph, Mo.
Live Stats: https://gogriffons.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Audio: http://www.facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics

Game #4: Lincoln at No. 1 Northwest Missouri (1-0, 1-0 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Maryville, Mo.
Live Stats: https://bearcatsports.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Audio: http://www.facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team will try to keep its perfect start going when the Blue Tigers play their first two road games of 2020-21 this week. LU, which is 2-0 overall and in the MIAA after a 76-68 victory over a Missouri Southern team that was ranked No. 21 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll on Saturday (Nov. 28), opens the week at Missouri Western. Tip-off for that game in St. Joseph, Mo. is set for 7:30 p.m. CST on Thursday (Dec. 3). Lincoln will then test itself against another nationally-ranked program, as the Blue Tigers head to Maryville, Mo. to play Northwest Missouri, the No. 1 team in the country, on Saturday (Dec. 5) at 3:30 p.m. CST. Both MWSU and NWMSU are 1-0 on the season.

FAST BREAKS
- LU and MWSU meet for the 47th time this week, with the Griffons leading the series, 34-12.

- Lincoln and Missouri Western split the season series last year, with each team winning on its home court.

- LU is seeking its first 3-0 start since 2015-16.

- The Blue Tigers and the Bearcats will meet for the 84th this week, with NWMSU leading the series, 53-30.

- Lincoln's last victory over Northwest Missouri came in 2015-16 when LU beat NWMSU at home, 79-74.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Sai Witt is averaging a double-double (18.0 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) and Cameron Potts is averaging 13.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds as Lincoln is 2-0 early in the season. Quinton Drayton (15.0), Yaniel Vidal (13.5) and Ni'Sean Rigmaiden (11.0) also average double-digit points, with Drayton leading the team with four steals.

HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY:  Now in his seventh season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers, Moseley has led Lincoln to five-straight postseason appearances, and guided the team to four-consecutive winning seasons between 2015-16 and 2018-19. 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 the 2001-02 season.

LAST TIME OUT:  LU led from start to finish as the Blue Tigers defeated previously unbeaten Missouri Southern, 76-68, on Saturday (Nov. 28) in Jefferson City. Sai Witt supplied 17 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a pair of assists, and Quinton Drayton scored 16 points while notching six rebounds as Lincoln defeated the No. 21 team in the NABC Division II poll. Cameron Potts had 14 points and seven assists, .

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS:  Q Mays posted a double-double in the team's season opener with 13 points and 11 boards, and Tyrell Carroll led Missouri Western with 17 points while Reese Glover finished with 12. Will Eames provided nine rebounds while Tony Chukwuemeke added six boards. Carroll led the team with four assists and three steals.

MWSU HEAD COACH WILL MARTIN:  The first-year coach of the Griffons is off to a 1-0 start after leading MWSU to a 68-55 road victory over Rogers State. Martin spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with Missouri Western, and before that worked at San Francisco and Martin Methodist.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS:  Trevor Hudgins led Northwest Missouri with 27 points, three steals and four assists in the season-opening win, and finished third on the rebounding list with five. Wes Dreamer (20 points, six boards), Diego Bernard (17 points) and Ryan Hawkins (seven rebounds, 12 points) were the other top scorers.

NWMSU HEAD COACH BEN McCOLLUM:  In 13 seasons, McCollum has led NWMSU to 273 wins and seven MIAA regular season titles. In 2017 and in 2019, 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.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Sai Witt led Lincoln with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win over No. 21 Missouri Southern, and was rewarded for his efforts by being named the second MIAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week for 2020-21. Witt, who also had a pair of assists and two steals in the victory, averages 18 points and 10 boards and is currently sixth in the league in scoring and second in rebounding.

TOP-25 WINS:  With the victory over Missouri Southern, which was ranked No. 21 in the NABC Division II poll heading into the week, the Blue Tigers earned their first win over a Top-25 team since Jan. 5 2019. The opponent in that game was also Missouri Southern, which was then ranked No. 20 nationally. Under coach John Moseley, the Blue Tigers have three Top-25 wins, all at home, with the third being a 79-74 victory over No. 25 Northwest Missouri on Dec. 18, 2015.

WELCOME BACK:  After missing last season with a preseason injury, Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is back in 2020-21, and has already given LU an edge. Rigmaiden is averaging 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, and has three assists. He has also been a very accurate shooter, firing at a .636 clip from the field and a .625 rate beyond the arc.

ALL-AROUND ASSET:  Cameron Potts filled out the stat sheet last year, ranking among the top Blue Tigers in just about every category. That success has continued in 2020-21, as Potts is averaging 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. He is leading the team, and ranks second in the MIAA, with 5.5 assists per game, while his 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio is the sixth-best in the conference.

TOP TEN TIGERS:  Lincoln is currently ranked in the top-10 in Division II in five categories: turnovers margin (third); free throw attempts (seventh); free throws made (eighth); turnovers forced (ninth) and steals per game (10th). Sai Witt leads DII with two double-doubles.

FACEBOOK LIVE:  This week's road games will air as a Facebook Live broadcast, with James Stanley and Cam Thomas bringing you the action live for all four games. Head to www.facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics to listen.

GOING DIGITAL:  Lincoln is partnering with Hometown Ticketing to sell all tickets to LU basketball games online in 2020-21. There will be no on-site ticket sales, as fans will either need to pull up their ticket on their phone or print them off in advance to be scanned at the gate. Due to MIAA regulations, tickets to Blue Tiger games will be sold on a limited basis, and members of the Blue Tiger Athletics Club will be given priority. For more information, visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets.

JOIN THE CLUB:  Members who joined the Blue Tiger Athletics Club at the Coaches level of above will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets in 2020-21. Members at the Blue Tiger level will have the next chance. To join the BTAC, or to learn more about the club, please visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/BTAC.

WATCH LIVE:  Fans who are unable to attend a game in person will still be able to cheer on the Blue Tigers to victory via The MIAA Network. All 11 Lincoln home games will be broadcast through a new multi-camera system and can be seen at www.TheMIAANetwork.com/LUBlueTigers.

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 Jason Gym to face Pittsburg State next Thursday (Dec. 10) in a 7:30 p.m. CST contest.