Complete Game Notes
Game #8: Lincoln (0-7, 0-7 MIAA) at Newman (2-6, 2-6 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021
Time: 5:30 p.m. CST
Site: Wichita, Kan.
Live Stats: https://newmanjets.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Audiocast: https://www.facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics
 
Game #9: Lincoln at Central Oklahoma (4-3, 4-3 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021
Time: 1:30 p.m. CST
Site: Edmond, Okla.
Live Stats: https://bronchosports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live KJLU Broadcast (88.9 FM in Jefferson City): https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLU
 
THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln women's basketball team begins a three-game road trip this week with a pair of MIAA contests. Up first for LU is Newman, as the Blue Tigers travel to Wichita, Kan. on Thursday (Jan. 14) for a 5:30 p.m. CST contest against the Jets. Lincoln will then head to Edmond, Okla. on Saturday (Jan. 16) to take on Central Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers will try to pick up their first victory of 2021 this week after dropping games to Nebraska Kearney, 68-53, on Jan. 7 and to Fort Hays State, 85-70, on Jan. 9, both in Jason Gym. Newman is 2-6 on the year and on a four-game skid, most recently falling to Northeastern State, 60-46, on Saturday. Central Oklahoma is 4-3 and has won two straight, including beating Northeastern State, 71-44.
 
FAST BREAKS
- On Thursday, Lincoln and Newman will meet for the ninth time, with the Jets leading the series, 5-3.
 
- Newman beat Lincoln in Wichita, Kan. last season, 82-46, and has won two-straight in the series. LU's last win over NU was a 67-51 victory in Jason Gym in 2010.
 
- UCO and LU will meet for the 12th time this week, with the Bronchos leading the series, 9-2.
 
- Lincoln won its first two meetings with the Bronchos, but UCO has since won each contest against the Blue Tigers as MIAA rivals.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln has a pair of scoring threats in Niyah Jackson (16.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg.) and Deija Jackson (10.7 ppg.) while Vivian Chigbu has 4.8 boards per game. Simone Jordan turned in a double-double against Fort Hays State and averages 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Aliyah Bello has 11 steals and Haylie Holloway has nine while Ashtin Ingram leads the Blue Tigers with 11 blocks.
 
HEAD COACH ANDREA MIZE:  Andrea Mize is in her first year as the head coach at Lincoln after a successful two-year run at Central Florida College. In 2019-20, Mize led CFC to a 19-win season that included a victory in the first round of the FCSAA playoffs. A graduate of Indiana, Mize previously was an assistant coach at Martin Methodist, where she helped the program reach the NAIA national tournament three times.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Nebraska Kearney 68, Lincoln 53
Niyah Jackson scored 12 points and AJ Bradley had nine points to go with eight rebounds, but Lincoln fell to Nebraska Kearney on Thursday (Jan. 7). Jackson had a team-high four assists while Ashtin Ingram and Simone Jordan each recorded two blocks.
 
Fort Hays State 85, Lincoln 70
It was a 22-18 game after the first quarter, but Fort Hays State held off Lincoln in the second half for the win on Saturday. Simone Jordan led LU with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Ashtin Ingram came off the bench to supply 10 points and eight boards. AJ Bradley scored 13 and had four assists.
 
SCOUTING THE JETS:  Newman has two players who average more than five points per game: Brooke Haney (13.3 ppg.) and Faith Mason-Vestal (10.6 ppg.). Madison Birnbaum leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game, followed by Abbey George with 4.9 rpg., while Sydney Nilles leads the Jets with 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Birnbaum has a team-high six blocks.
 
NU HEAD COACH DARIN SPENCE:  Now in his eighth year at Newman, Spence has amassed over 100 victories and led the program to three winning seasons in the past four years. Spence, who has compiled over 500 victories in a career that has spanned 29 years, won 109 games as the head coach at Division I New Mexico State.
 
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS:  UCO averages (65.7) nearly as many points as it allows (64.1), but has one of the MIAA's best offensive players in Kelsey Johnson (22.6 ppg., .602 field goal %). Johnson also leads the team in rebounding (10.4) and shoots .816 at the line and .429 from beyond the arc. Jaci Littell (8.0 ppg.) and Brooke Rayner (7.2 ppg.) are the next-leading scorers.
 
UCO HEAD COACH GUY HARDAKER:  Over the past 14 seasons, Hardaker has led UCO to five NCAA Division II tournament appearances as well as five 20-win campaigns. In 2016-17, he guided Central Oklahoma to the championship game of the MIAA Tournament and an at-large berth in the NCAA tourney.
 
LU PLAYS ON KJLU:  Both of this week's LU road games will air on 88.9 FM KJLU in Jefferson City. Play-by-play announcer Cam Thomas will have the call, and fans not in the area will be able to listen online at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLU.
 
TABULATING TURNOVERS:  Lincoln, which has 53 steals on the year, ranks 44th nationally in total steals, and its 7.6 steals per game are the sixth-most in the MIAA. Niyah Jackson has 12 of those takeaways, ranking her ninth in the league and 71st in NCAA Division II.
 
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK:  Newcomer Ashtin Ingram has 11 blocks through seven games, the third-most in the MIAA and the 20th-most in NCAA Division II. Ingram, who has two starts and averages 13.9 minutes per night, is ranked 43rd nationally with 1.6 rejections per game.
 
UNDE-NIYAH-BLE:  Niyah Jackson eclipsed the 20-point threshold in two of the past four games, and her 16.0 ppg. average ranks eighth in the MIAA. Her 3.1 assists per game rank ninth in the conference, and her .483 field goal percentage is the sixth-best in the league. She has yet to score less than 11 points in a game.
 
WHAT'S NEXT FOR JORDAN?:  Simone Jordan played for the first time in 2020-21 last week, starting each of LU's two home games. After scoring five points against Nebraska Kearney, Jordan exploded for 19 and 11 boards vs. Fort Hays State. In those two games, she shot .579 from the field and .400 from three-point range.
 
AJ AT THE LINE:  AJ Bradley has attempted 33 free throws, the 10th-most by an MIAA player, and made 24, ranking 13th in the league. A .727 shooter at the line, she ranks among the top-55 in DII in both stats.
 
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 remain on the road to play Washburn in Topeka, Kan. on Tuesday (Jan. 19) at 6:00 p.m. CST.