Complete Game Notes | 2020-21 Home Game Policies
Game #9: Rogers State (5-5, 5-5 MIAA) at Lincoln (6-2, 6-2 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/

Game #10: Northeastern State (2-8, 2-8 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/

THE TIP OFF:  A four-game homestand begins for the Lincoln men's basketball team as the Blue Tigers play a pair of games in Jason Gym this week. Up first for LU is a Rogers State squad that enters with a 5-5 record, but is on a three-game winning streak after notching home wins over Emporia State, Newman and Northeastern State. The Blue Tigers and the Hillcats will tip off this Thursday evening (Jan. 21) at 7:30 p.m. CST. Following that contest, Lincoln will welcome Northeastern State to Jefferson City on Saturday (Jan. 23) for a 3:00 p.m. CST showdown. The RiverHawks are 2-8 on the season and have dropped seven of their past eight contests. Lincoln enters the week 6-2 overall and 5-0 at home as well as on a four-game win streak.

FAST BREAKS
- On Thursday, Lincoln will play just its second game vs. Rogers State, and its first inside the friendly quarters of Jason Gym.

- The only other meeting between LU and RSU came last season, with the Hillcats winning.

- Lincoln and Northeastern State meet for the 13th time on Saturday, with the RiverHawks holding a 7-5 edge in the all-time series.

- NSU has won two-straight over Lincoln, with the last LU win in the series coming in 2017-18 on the road.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Sai Witt is averaging close to a double-double (16.4 ppg., 8.9 rpg.) and Cameron Potts is averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds as Lincoln is 6-2 early in the season. Both Quinton Drayton (16.0) and Yaniel Vidal (10.1) also average double-digit points, while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is averaging 9.4 points, 4.4 boards and 2.4 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
Lincoln 67, Nebraska Kearney 60
Cameron Potts, Sai Witt and Quinton Drayton each scored 13 points as Lincoln beat Nebraska Kearney on Jan. 7. Potts also tallied seven boards, five assists and five steals, Ni'Sean Rigmaiden had 12 points and Yaniel Vidal had a team-high eight rebounds.

Lincoln 76, Fort Hays State 64
Quinton Drayton scored 25 points, including 20 in the second half, as LU turned a one-point lead at the break into a 12-point victory over Fort Hays State on Jan. 9. Sai Witt just missed out on a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden and Yaniel Vidal each chipped in 12 points. Rigmaiden supplied five assists, and Vidal had five steals as Lincoln forced FHSU into 17 total turnovers.

SCOUTING THE HILLCATS:  Five Rogers State players are scoring in double figures, led by Devin Pullum with 14.5 per night. Darraja Parnell averages 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds, followed by Brewster Peacock (10.5 ppg.), Jett Sternberger (10.1 ppg.) and Destin Eke (10.0 ppg.).

RSU HEAD COACH JUSTIN BARKLEY:  The third head coach in Rogers State history, Barkley is now in his 11th year leading the team and has an all-time record of 212-99. Barkley has never had a losing record as the coach of the Hillcats, and has led the program to at least 16 wins in each of his first 10 seasons. Barkley has directed the Hillcats through transitions from the NAIA into NCAA DII and now into the MIAA.

SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS:  Northeastern State also has five players averaging double digit points, led by Caleb Williams with 18.0 ppg. Brad Davis (13.7 ppg.) leads NSU with 3.1 assists per game, and Trey Sampson (11.9 ppg.) has a team-high 5.2 rebounds per contest. Troy Locke (12.9 ppg.) and Rashad Perkins (11.4 ppg.) are NSU's other top scorers.

NSU HEAD COACH JA HAVENS:  After winning three GAC championships in seven seasons at Est Central, Ja Havens returned to his alma mater to serve as the head coach of the RiverHawks this season. Havens won 131 games at East Central and had a winning record every season.

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. Following a 19-point, 13-rebound game in a win over Emporia State, Witt once again earned a weekly award, as he was the Black College Sports Network Small School Player of the Week.

SAI IT TWICE:  With four double-doubles on the season, Sai Witt is currently fifth in NCAA DII. Witt has 71 rebounds on the year, the 15th-most in Division II, and his 131 total points rank 60th in the nation. Entering this week, Witt is third in the MIAA with 8.9 rebounds per night, and his 3.5 offensive rebound average leads the league. His 16.4 ppg., meanwhile, rank eighth in the MIAA.

GIVES AND TAKES:  Cameron Potts is second in the MIAA with an average of 2.5 steals per game, and his 20 total steals are the seventh-most in NCAA Division II. On offense, he leads LU with 32 assists, and his average of 4.0 assists per night rates fifth in the MIAA.

DRAY DAY:  Quinton Drayton has started every game and given the Blue Tigers a spark offensively, highlighted by a 25-point night against Fort Hays State. Drayton has scored at least 13 in seven of LU's eight games, and averages 16.0 points per night, the 10th-best average in the MIAA.

YANI FOR 3:  Few MIAA players are as hot from beyond the arc as Yaniel Vidal, whose 21 treys are the ninth-most in the conference and the 39th-most in NCAA Division II. He averages 2.6 three-pointers per night, the fifth-most in the league, and his .488 accuracy rate from long distance is third in the MIAA and 28th in the country.

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 host a rematch with Northwest Missouri next Thursday (Jan. 28) at 7:30 p.m. CST.