Complete Game Notes
Game #30: Lincoln (11-18) vs. No. 1 Northwest Missouri (28-1)
Date: Thursday, March 5, 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 Quarterfinals

THE TIP OFF:  Fresh off their fourth postseason win of the past five years, the Lincoln men's basketball team will play Northwest Missouri in the quarterfinals of the 2020 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship on Thursday night (March 5). Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST as the Blue Tigers attempt to extend their season against a Bearcat team that is ranked No. 1 in the country in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll. Northwest Missouri is 28-1 this season, with the loss coming on the road to Central Missouri back on Dec. 7. Lincoln will play for the second-straight night after a 78-69 win over Central Oklahoma on Wednesday (March 3).

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Northwest Missouri will meet for the 83rd time on Thursday evening, with the Bearcats leading the all-time series, 52-30.

- The Bearcats swept Lincoln in the regular season. LU'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 third time in the past four years that LU and NWMSU will meet in the postseason.

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 14.4 per contest. Cameron Potts averages 11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists, and Marcel Burton is next on the scoring chart with 10.2 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 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:  LU shot .568 overall and .529 from three-point range en route to a 78-69 win over Central Oklahoma in the first round of the MIAA tourney on Wednesday (March 4). L'Kielynn Taylor grabbed 12 rebounds, Marcus Cohen had seven assists, and Marcel Burton led LU with 15 points. Bansi King chipped in 14 points while Cameron Potts added 13.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS:  Ryan Hawkins is averaging 22.8 points and 7.6 boards, both team highs, and leads NWMSU with 65 steals and 21 blocks. Trevor Hudgins, who is averaging 19.6 points, leads the Bearcats with 6.0 assists per game, and Diego Bernard averages 13.8 points and 6.6 rebounds.

NWMSU HEAD COACH BEN McCOLLUM:  In 12 seasons, McCollum has led NWMSU to 269 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.

ALL-MIAA:  For the second-straight year, Jonell Burton has been selected All-MIAA honorable mention. Burton leads Lincoln in scoring with 14.4 points per game, and is 12th in the league in points per game, 11th in field goal percentage (.449) and 11th in free throw shooting (.789). He has scored at least 10 points in 20 contests this year, including a 40-point night against Harris Stowe, and he additionally averages 4.1 boards and 1.2 assists.

BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT:  Lincoln has clinched its fifth-straight trip to the postseason and will play Northwest Missouri in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium this Thursday. In five of its last six trips to the postseason, Lincoln won its first playoff game, and this year makes 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 7-7 in MIAA tournament games, including 2-1 in overtime.

MORE AT THE MUNI:  On Thursday, Lincoln will play its fourth 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. With the win over UCO, Lincoln is now 2-1 at the Muni in 2019-20.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES:  Jonell Burton, who leads the Blue Tigers with 14.4 points per game, is currently 12th in the MIAA in scoring and 11th in total field goals made (143). 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 29 contests.

STARTING RIGHT:  The Blue Tigers have utilized 18 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 29 games this year. He has made two more starts than Marcel Burton, who has started 27 games.

CHIEF THIEF:  Cameron Potts has been one of the MIAA's best at taking away the ball, as his 40 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 24 of LU's 29 games with double-digit performances vs. 11 teams. His 8.3 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 13 games, with Lincoln possessing a 5-8 record in those contests. The Blue Tigers rank ninth in the MIAA in fewest turnovers (392), and Lincoln is sixth in steals per game (6.1).

THE GIVER:  Cameron Potts leads Lincoln with 112 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 (3.9) 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 69 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 Thursday, Lincoln will advance to the MIAA Semifinals and play again on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CT.