Complete Game Notes | 2020-21 Home Game Policy
Game #5: Pittsburg State (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) at Lincoln (2-2, 2-2 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jason Gym (1,538) in Jefferson City, Mo.
Tickets: Available on a Limited Basis at http://www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team is back in Jason Gym on Thursday (Dec. 10) for LU's final home game of 2020. The Blue Tigers host Pittsburg State at 7:30 p.m. CST as Lincoln attempts to remain perfect at home. The Blue Tigers won their season opener in Jason Gym against Central Missouri, 86-80, before beating No. 21 Missouri Southern, 76-68. Since then, however, LU has dropped road games at Missouri Western (89-73) and No. 1 Northwest Missouri (84-54) last week. Lincoln will try to get back in the win column against a Gorilla squad that recently snapped a two-game skid of its own, as PSU beat Northeastern State, 81-71, on Saturday (Dec. 5).

FAST BREAKS
- This is the 41st meeting between Lincoln and Pittsburg State, with the Gorillas leading the series, 31-9.

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

- Lincoln has won each of its past five home games vs. Pittsburg State, beating PSU at Jason Gym in each of the last five seasons.

- The Blue Tigers are seeking their first 3-0 start at home since 2015-16, when LU won its first six home contests.

- This is the earliest Lincoln has finished a December home slate since 2013-14 (last home game was on Dec. 7).

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Sai Witt is averaging close to a double-double (17.5 ppg., 8.5 rpg.) and Cameron Potts is averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds as Lincoln is 2-2 early in the season. Both Quinton Drayton (13.8) and Yaniel Vidal (11.0) also average double-digit points, while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is averaging 7.0 points, 4.8 boards and 2.3 assists.

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
Missouri Western 89, Lincoln 73
Four Blue Tigers scored in double figures, led by a 19-point, nine-rebound, two-steal performance by Sai Witt, but LU fell to Missouri Western, 89-73, last Thursday (Dec. 3). Quinton Drayton had 18 points, Mekhi Kimble came off the bench to score 15 and Cameron Potts added 11 points and three rebounds.

#1 Northwest Missouri 84, Lincoln 54
Northwest Missouri shot a blistering .585 overall and .533 from long range to beat the Blue Tigers, 84-54, on Saturday (Dec. 5). Sai Witt led Lincoln with 15 points and five boards, and Yaniel Vidal chipped in 11 points while Quinton Drayton and DaMani Jarrett each scored seven.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS:  Bobby Arthur-Williams, Jr. leads Pittsburg State in both scoring (14.2) and rebounding (6.6) while Martin Vogts (11.8 ppg.) and Quentin Hardrict (10.4 ppg.) are also off to strong starts offensively. Ike Moore has dished a team-high 14 assists, and Zach Burch has a team-best six blocks while Hardrict and Ryan Pippins each have seven steals.

PSU HEAD COACH KIM ANDERSON:  In four seasons at Pittsburg State, Anderson is 49-46 and has taken the Gorillas to three berths in the MIAA tournament. Anderson, who coached at his alma mater, the University of Missouri, for three seasons prior to taking over at Pittsburg State, coached Central Missouri to the 2014 NCAA Divsion II championship.

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 17.5 points and 8.5 boards this year and is currently eighth in the league in scoring and fifth 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 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds, and has nine assists. He has also been anaccurate shooter, shooting .500 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 he averages 10.0 points and 3.3 rebounds. He is leading the team, and ranks 11th in the conference, with 3.5 assists per game, while his field goal percentage of .481 is the 13th-best in the MIAA.

Q RATING:  Quinton Drayton has started every game and given the Blue Tigers a spark offensively, highlighted by his 16-point performance in the victory against Missouri Southern. Drayton, who averages 13.8 points per game, scored a season-high 18 vs. Missouri Western and shoots .404 from the field. Beyond his scoring, he averages 3.5 boards and has five steals.

TOP TEN TIGERS:  Lincoln is currently ranked in the top-10 in Division II in three categories: free throw attempts (fifth); free throws made (seventh); and total steals (eighth). Sai Witt leads DII with two double-doubles while his 34 rebounds rank fifth in the country.

LONG SHOTS:  Yaniel Vidal is shooting .579 from three-point range, the 10th-best percentage in DII and second-best in the MIAA. Vidal is ninth nationally in treys made (11) and 38th in three-pointers per game (2.8).

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:  Lincoln travels to Emporia, Kan. next Thursday (Dec. 17) to play Emporia State in a 7:30 p.m. CST contest.