Complete Game Notes
Game #29: Lincoln (10-18) vs. Central Oklahoma (11-17)
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Site: Municipal Auditorium (9,700) in Kansas City, Mo.
Tickets: Adults - $20.00 | Students - $5.00
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com
Live Stats: http://www.themiaa.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Special Event: 2020 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship - First Round
 
THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team tips off the 2020 postseason on Wednesday (March 4) as the Blue Tigers play Central Oklahoma in the first round of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship. The game will start at 6:00 p.m. CST in Municipal Auditorium as Lincoln plays a postseason game for the fifth-straight year. In addition to advancing, the Blue Tigers also have revenge on their minds, as they fell to their opponent, Central Oklahoma, in Edmond, Okla. by a final score of 79-65 on Jan. 6. The Blue Tigers hold the No. 9 seed in the tournament after finishing 10-18 overall and 7-12 in MIAA play. The Bronchos have the No. 8 seed after a 2019-20 campaign in which UCO went 11-17 overall and 8-11 in the conference.
 
FAST BREAKS
- This will be the 11th meeting overall, and the first in the postseason, between Lincoln and Central Oklahoma. UCO leads the all-time series, 8-2.
 
- The teams have split their last two meetings.
 
- Lincoln is 1-4 in neutral site contests in 2019-20 while Central Oklahoma is 0-3.
 
- The Blue Tigers will try to avenge a road loss in the postseason for the second-straight year. After losing to Fort Hays State on the road last season, LU beat FHSU in the MIAA Quarterfinals.

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 14.7 per contest. Cameron Potts averages 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and Marcel Burton is next on the scoring chart with 10.0 points. L'Kielynn Taylor leads the Blue Tigers with 8.1 rebounds per night.
 
HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY:  Now in his sixth season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers, Moseley led LU to five postseason appearances in a row as well as 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 2001-02. The Blue Tigers have now posted double-digit wins in each of the past five seasons.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Pittsburg State 73, Lincoln 56
Cameron Potts scored 12 points and L'Kielynn Taylor grabbed 11 rebounds as LU fell, 73-56, to Pittsburg State on Wednesday (Feb. 26). Lincoln shot .426 from the floor, but was held to just three makes from beyond the arc.
 
Missouri Southern 88, Lincoln 76
Lincoln shot .519 from the floor while holding the Lions to .415 shooting, but Missouri Southern scored 23 points off turnovers en route to an 88-76 win over the Blue Tigers on Saturday (Feb. 29). Cameron Potts led Lincoln with 16 points while L'Kielynn Taylor and Marcus Cohen each added 12 points.
 
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS:  UCO is led by Dashawn McDowell (11.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) and Cam Givens (10.7 ppg.) while Dashon Bell is next on the scoring chart with 9.8 ppg. while dishing a team-high 3.4 assists per night. Justin Nimmer provides 8.6 ppg. while UCO's top rebounder is Givens with 5.8 per contest, and DJ Basey leads the team with 28 blocks.

UCO HEAD COACH BOB HOFFMAN:  A long-time veteran of the Division I ranks who posted 209 victories over 11 seasons at Mercer, Hoffman is in his first season as the leader of the Bronchos. Hoffman, who won an NAIA national title as a women's coach and who has nearly 250 wins as a men's coach at the NAIA level, has also coached at Oklahoma and Southern Nazarene as well as his alma mater, Oklahoma Baptist, where he is a member of the program's hall of fame.
 
BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT:  Lincoln has clinched its fifth-straight trip to the postseason and will play Central Oklahoma in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium this Wednesday. In four of its last five trips to the postseason, Lincoln won its first playoff game, and this year is making its fourth trip in five years to the historic Municipal Auditorium.
 
TOURNAMENT TIME:  Lincoln is making its eighth trip to the MIAA Postseason Tournament and its fifth in the past five years this week. LU has twice advanced to the championship game, losing to Truman State in 1981 and falling to Southeastern Missouri in 1987. Overall, LU is 6-7 in MIAA tournament games, including 2-1 in overtime.
 
MORE AT THE MUNI:  On Wednesday, Lincoln will play its third game of the year at Municipal Auditorium, as LU opened the season with a pair of games at the MIAA Challenge in Kansas City. In the season opener, Sioux Falls edged the Blue Tigers, 64-63. Lincoln rebounded to win the next day against Upper Iowa, 61-59, to make LU 1-1 in the Muni in 2019-20.
 
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES:  Jonell Burton, who leads the Blue Tigers with 14.7 points per game, is currently 12th in the MIAA in scoring and 11th in total field goals made (142). Burton scored in double figures in each of the first five games of the season and has tallied at least 10 points in 20 of Lincoln's 28 contests.

STARTING RIGHT:  The Blue Tigers have utilized 17 total 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 28 games this year. He has made two more starts than Marcel Burton, who has started 26 games.
 
CHIEF THIEF:  Cameron Potts has been one of the MIAA's best at taking away the ball, as his 39 steals lead the Blue Tigers and rank fifth in the conference. Potts is averaging 1.4 steals per game, which rate as the seventh-most in the MIAA, and his play has Lincoln ranked sixth in the league in steals per game (6.1) and seventh in the conference in total steals (171).
 
ON THE GLASS:  L'Kielynn Taylor has pulled down five or more boards in 23 of LU's 28 games with double-digit performances vs. 10 teams. His 8.1 average is the third-best in the MIAA and his 228 total rebounds are also third in the MIAA. Taylor additionally ranks 69th in Division II in total rebounds.
 
HOLD THE BALL:  LU has done a good job of taking care of the ball, finishing with more turnovers than opponents in just 12 games, with Lincoln possessing a 4-8 record in those contests. The Blue Tigers rank ninth in the MIAA in fewest turnovers (379), and Lincoln is sixth in steals per game (6.1).

THE GIVER:  Cameron Potts leads Lincoln with 111 assists on the year, and is one of the MIAA's leaders in that category as well. Potts is sixth in the league in assists per game (4.0) and fifth in total assists, and his 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio is eighth in the league. In total assists, Potts ranks 112th in NCAA Division II.
 
REJECTIONS:  Lincoln has blocked 67 shots in 2019-20, with the 2.4 rejections per game rating 11th in the MIAA. Jonell Burton, a member of the MIAA All-Defensive team in 2018-19, leads the Blue Tigers with 25 rejections and ranks 10th 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:  With a win on Wednesday, Lincoln will advance to the MIAA Quarterfinals to play Northwest Missouri on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. CT.