Complete Game Notes
Game #22: Lincoln (8-13, 5-7 MIAA) at No. 1 Northwest Missouri (21-1, 11-1 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Bearcat Arena (2,500) in Maryville, Mo.
Tickets: Available at Site
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Stats: https://bearcatsports.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  A rematch with the No. 1 team in the country awaits the Lincoln men's basketball team, as the Blue Tigers travel to Maryville, Mo. on Saturday (Feb. 8) to play Northwest Missouri at 3:30 p.m. CST. Northwest Missouri, with a 21-1 overall record, is the top-ranked team in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, and defeated Lincoln, 87-53, when the two teams met in Jefferson City on Dec. 5. Lincoln will try to rebound from a loss to Missouri Western, as the Blue Tigers' second-half rally fell short on Wednesday (Feb. 5) for an 81-71 loss. The Blue Tigers currently are tied for eighth in the MIAA, and own the tie-breaker over Pittsburg State, and are just 2.5 games out of fifth place.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Northwest Missouri will meet for the 82nd time on Thursday evening, with the Bearcats leading the all-time series, 51-30.

- Lincoln's last win in this rivalry came in 2015-16, when the Blue Tigers topped Northwest Missouri, then ranked No. 25 in the country, 79-74 in Jason Gym.

- The Blue Tigers are seeking their first victory against a nationally-ranked opponent since Jan. 5, 2019, when LU beat No. 20 Missouri Southern, 90-83, in Jason Gym.

- This is the second of six rematches on LU's schedule.

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 14.8 per contest. Cameron Potts averages 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists, and Marcel Burton is next on the scoring chart with 11.0 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:  After trailing by 10 at halftime, Lincoln rallied to get within three, but a 17-7 run allowed Missouri Western to escape with an 81-71 victory in St. Joseph on Wednesday night (Feb. 5). Jonell Burton led Lincoln with 23 points and Marcel Burton scored 21 while Alafia Oluwasogo chipped in 11. L'Kielynn Taylor had nine points and nine rebounds.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS:  Ryan Hawkins is averaging 22.8 points and 7.1 boards, both team highs, and leads NWMSU with 54 steals and 16 blocks. Trevor Hudgins, who is averaging 18.3 points, leads the Bearcats with 6.3 assists per game, and Diego Bernard averages 14.2 points and 6.4 rebounds. Ryan Welty averages 8.6 points while Luke Walters is next with 7.5 ppg.

NWMSU HEAD COACH BEN McCOLLUM:  In 12 seasons, McCollum has led NWMSU to 262 wins and six 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.

STARTING RIGHT:  The Blue Tigers have used 12 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 21 games this year. Taylor has made two more starts than the next Blue Tiger, Marcel Burton, who has started 19.

CHIEF THIEF:  Cameron Potts has been one of the MIAA's best at taking away the ball, as his 34 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 12 games this season.

GO OLUWASOGO:  Alafia Oluwasogo came off the bench to score 11 against Missouri Western, tallying his third double-digit performance in his past seven games. In that span, Oluwasogo has scored at least six points in every game, and has been nearly perfect at the line (.864).

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. Both of Lincoln's other wins on the year have come on Wednesdays, where the Blue Tigers are 2-3 on the season.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES:  Jonell Burton, who is leading the Blue Tigers with 14.8 points per game, is currently 11th in the MIAA in scoring and 10th in total field goals made (106). Burton scored in double figures in each of the season's first five games and has tallied at least 10 points in 15 of Lincoln's 21 contests.

ON THE GLASS:  L'Kielynn Taylor has pulled down five or more boards in 19 of LU's 21 games with double-digit performances vs. seven teams. His 8.3 average is the third-best in the MIAA and his 175 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 99th in the country in fewest turnovers (274) while LU's +0.8 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 this week, LU will play six of the next eight games on the road all of which will be against MIAA opponents. For the year, Lincoln is 2-6 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 LU players making at least 50-percent of their shot attempts. As a team, LU is shooting .437 from the field and is 7-1 when finishing with a better field goal pct. than its opponents. Jonell Burton individually ranks 13th in the MIAA with a .442 field goal percentage.

THE GIVER:  Cameron Potts leads Lincoln with 96 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 (4.6) and fifth in total assists, and his 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is seventh in the league. In assists per game, Potts ranks 70th in NCAA Division II.

REJECTIONS:  Lincoln has blocked 57 shots in 2019-20, with the 2.7 rejections per game rating ninth in the MIAA. Jonell Burton, a member of the MIAA All-Defensive team in 2018-19, leads the Blue Tigers with 21 rejections and ranks ninth in the conference in total blocks.

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 returns home on Thursday (Feb. 13) to host Nebraska Kearney in Jason Gym at 7:30 p.m. CST.