Complete Game Notes | Game Day Policies
Game #7: Nebraska Kearney (2-5, 2-5 MIAA) at Lincoln (4-2, 4-2 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Tickets: www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets

Game #8: Fort Hays State (3-4, 3-4 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Tickets: www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team opens 2021 by putting its perfect home record on the line with a pair of games in Jason Gym this week. LU's first game of the new year is on Thursday (Jan. 7), as the Blue Tigers host Nebraska Kearney at 7:30 p.m. CST. On Saturday (Jan. 9), Lincoln welcomes Fort Hays State to Jason Gym for a 3:00 p.m. CST contest. The Blue Tigers are 3-0 at home this season, and are coming off an 82-78 road win over Emporia State on Dec. 17. Nebraska Kearney enters the week with a 2-5 record after snapping a three-game skid with a 72-66 home win over Northeastern State on Dec. 20. Fort Hays State started the season 0-3, but has since won three of its last four after beating NCAA DI opponent Kansas State in an exhibition game on Dec. 8.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Nebraska Kearney meet for the 14th time on Thursday, with the Lopers holding a slim 7-6 lead in the series.

- The Blue Tigers have won two of their past three games against the Lopers, with both wins coming in Jason Gym.

- Saturday marks the 24th time Lincoln will play FHSU, with Fort Hays State leading the series, 14-9.

- Lincoln has beaten Fort Hays State in each of the past three meetings in Jason Gym, and LU has won three of the last four games of this series.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Sai Witt is averaging close to a double-double (16.2 ppg., 9.0 rpg.) and Cameron Potts is averaging 11.0 points, 3.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds as Lincoln is 3-2 early in the season. Both Quinton Drayton (14.2) and Yaniel Vidal (10.2) also average double-digit points, while Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is averaging 8.4 points, 4.6 boards and 2.0 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:  Despite dressing just seven players, Lincoln became the first team in 2020-21 to defeat Emporia State, as LU handed ESU an 82-78 loss in Emporia, Kan. on Dec. 17. Sai Witt tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 boards, and Cameron Potts came close to a triple-double with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Quinton Drayton also scored 19, and Mekhi Kimble added 14 points while Yaniel Vidal scored 12.

SCOUTING THE LOPERS:  Jake Walker (18.6 ppg.), Austin Luger (14.6 ppg., 7.4 rpg.) and Sam Morris (10.2 ppg.) have led Nebraska Kearney in 2020-21. The Lopers have been out-scored by an average of 70-65.9 points per game, and have 97 turnovers on the year (13.8 per contest).

UNK HEAD COACH KEVIN LOFTON:  In 2015-16, Lofton's first season as UNK's sole head coach, he guided the Lopers to the title game of the MIAA tournament and a bid to the NCAA tourney. Lofton spent the previous 10 years as UNK's co-head coach, and led the team to 171 wins, including 117 in league play. He has guided UNK to more than 80 wins as the sole coach.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:  Jared Vitztum enters the week averaging 19.3 points and 10.3 boards, leading FHSU in both categories. Three other Fort Hays State players average double digit points, including Kaleb Hammeke (10.7 ppg.), who leads FHSU with 4.9 assists per night. Quinten Rock is averaging 15.3 points and 4.0 assists, and Alvin Thompson averages 10.6 points and has a team-high eight steals.

FHSU HEAD COACH MARK JOHNSON:  The all-time wins leader at Fort Hays State, Johnson has more than 350 victories with the Tigers and has led FHSU to seven appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers have won at least 20 games in nine seasons under Johnson, with three players earning All-American honors.

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 third in NCAA DII, just one behind the national leader. Witt has 58 rebounds on the year, the sixth-most in Division II, and his 100 total points rank 37th in the nation. Entering this week, Witt is third in the MIAA, and 22nd in the country, with 9.7 rebounds per night, and his 3.2 offensive rebound average is the second-best in the conference. His 16.7 ppg., meanwhile, is eighth in the MIAA.

WELCOME BACK:  After missing last season with a preseason injury, Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is back in 2020-21, and has already given LU an edge. Rigmaiden is averaging 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds, and has 10 assists. He has also been anaccurate shooter, shooting .600 beyond the arc.

GIVES AND TAKES:  Cameron Potts leads the MIAA with an average of 2.2 steals per game, and his 13 total steals are the 11th-most in NCAA Division II. On offense, he leads LU with 24 assists, the 24th-most in the country, while his average of 4.0 assists per night rates sixth in the MIAA.

DRAY DAY:  Quinton Drayton has started every game and given the Blue Tigers a spark offensively, highlighted by a 19-point night against Emporia State. Drayton has scored at least 14 in five of LU's six games, and averages 15.0 points per night, the 13th-best average in the MIAA.

YANI FOR 3:  Few MIAA players are as hot from beyond the arc as Yaniel Vidal, whose 17 treys are the sixth-most in the conference and the 15th-most in NCAA Division II. He averages 2.8 three-pointers per night, the fourth-most in the league, and his .486 accuracy rate from long distance is third in the MIAA and 33rd 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:  Lincoln travels to Wichita, Kan. next Thursday (Jan. 14) to play Newman in a 7:30 p.m. CST contest.