Complete Game Notes
Game #1: Lincoln (12-11 in 2020-21) vs. Arkansas-Monticello (16-5 in 2020-21)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. CST
Site: Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Game #2: Minnesota State-Mankato (10-7 in 2020-21) vs. Lincoln
Date: Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. CST
Site: Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Live Stats Both Days: https://pittstategorillas.com/sidearmstats/mbball

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team opens its 2021-22 campaign in Kansas City, Mo. at Municipal Auditorium this Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 13-14) as LU plays in the Central Region Challenge. Lincoln tips off its season on Saturday against Arkansas-Monticello before playing Minnesota State-Mankato on Sunday, with both games scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. CST. The Blue Tigers finished fifth in the MIAA standings last year and qualified for the league tournament for the sixth-straight year. While last season's MIAA tourney ws held on campus sites due to COVID-19 protocols, this year's tournament is back in Kansas City and will be held once again at Municipal Auditorium, and Lincoln will vie to qualify for a seventh-straight playoff bid beginning this weekend. This is also the start of a new era of LU basketball, as Ed Wilson takes over as the interim head coach of the Blue Tigers.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Arkansas-Monticello will meet for the fifth time on Saturday, with UAM owning a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The teams last met in 2015-16, with the Blue Tigers winning, 84-82, in Bolivar, Mo.

- On Sunday, Lincoln and Minnesota State-Mankato will play one another for just the third time. The first contest between the two teams was played in 1964-65, with MSU-Mankato winning, 81-77. The teams met again in 1965-66, and Lincoln won, 120-80.

- Lincoln will play its first non-conference game since Dec. 18, 2019 on Saturday, as the 2020-21 schedule only featured MIAA opponents. LU won that non-league game, 88-73, over Culver-Stockton.

- The Blue Tigers are 6-4 in their last 10 games played in Kansas City.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln has six returners from its 2020-21 squad, including Derrick Woods, who averaged 11.2 points and 3.7 rebounds after joining LU mid-season. Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is back after averaging 8.2 points, 3.8 boards and 2.3 assists a year ago, and so is Yaniel Vidal, who shot .412 from beyond the arc while averaging 9.0 points. Chuck Wilson (6.7 ppg.), Mekhi Kimble (3.9 ppg.) and Arash Yaqubi are LU's other returners.

HEAD COACH ED WILSON:  Last spring, Ed Wilson was elevated to the position of interim head coach after serving as Lincoln's assistant coach the previous seven seasons. In that span, Wilson helped lead Lincoln to six postseason berths, including a trip to the semifinals of the 2019 MIAA Championship. Wilson has coached 16 Blue Tigers to some form of All-MIAA honor.

SCOUTING THE WEEVILS:  UAM went 16-5 in 2020-21, but returns just one player from that team in Cole Whiteaker, who played in just six games. As a result of the turnover, the Weevils were picked to finish 12th in the Great American Conference's preseason poll.

UAM HEAD COACH CHAD TAPP:  The first-year coach of Arkansas-Monticello begins his 12th season as the leader of a program in 2021-22. Tapp spent the previous eight years at Lyon, and led the program to its first-ever conference title last season. A two-time coach of the year winner, Tapp led Lyon to five-consecutive playoff berths and set the record for most coaching victories.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS:  Minnesota State-Mankato went 10-7 in 2020-21, but brings back all six of its top scorers for 2021-22, led by Quincy Anderson, who averaged 17.1 points as well as 6.1 rebounds a year ago. Devonte Thedford (13.5 ppg.), Malik Willingham (11.6) and Ryland Holt (10.8) also averaged double digit points last year while Brady Williams was next with 9.4 points per game, followed by Kelby Kramer (6.8).

MSU HEAD COACH MATT MARGENTHALER:  The head coach at Minnesota State-Moorhead since 2001, Margenthaler has led the Mavericks to over 400 wins and 13 berths in the NCAA DII tournament. Margenthaler has been named the conference coach of the year six times during his career, and led the Mavericks to the semifinals of the NCAA tourney in 2010-11.

TOP-25 WINS:  Last season, Lincoln beat two teams which were ranked in the NABC NCAA Division II poll: No. 21 Missouri Southern (Nov. 28) and No. 23 Missouri Western (Jan. 30). Over the last seven years, LU has four Top-25 wins, all at home, but 2020-21 was the first time in at least 40 years that LU earmed multiple top-25 wins in a season.

TOURNAMENT TIME:  Last spring, Lincoln made its ninth trip to the MIAA Postseason Tournament and its sixth in the past six years. The Blue Tigers led for most of the contest, but Missouri Western forced overtime before winning 84-76 in St. Joseph, Mo. Overall, LU is 8-8 in MIAA tournament games, including 2-2 in overtime. In six of its past eight postseason trips, LU has won at least one tournament game.

WHAT A STEAL:  Lincoln generated plenty of turnovers in 2020-21, finishing eighth in NCAA Division II with 184 total steals. Returner Yaniel Vidal was second on the team, and seventh in the MIAA, with 37 takeaways, while three Blue Tigers ranked among the top-20 in the league.

THREE PARTY:  The Blue Tigers made some big shots beyond the arc last season, finishing 48th in the country with 167 total made three-pointers. Leading Lincoln was Yaniel Vidal with a shooting percentage of .417 from long distance. None of his long range buckets were bigger than the one in the final seconds against Nebraska Kearney that led to Lincoln securing a 68-65 road victory. For the season, Vidal was 34th in Division II with 54 made treys.

SEASON OPENERS:  With a win on Saturday, Lincoln will have emerged victorious from its season opener for the second time in the past two seasons, as LU tipped off its 2020-21 campaign with a home win over Central Missouri. Should Lincoln win both games of this weekend's Central Region Challenge, it will open a year 2-0 for the second-consecutive season. The Blue Tigers are 4-2 in their last six season-opening contests.

ROAD WARRIORS:  With just three home games during the 2021 portion of their schedule, the Blue Tigers will be spending a lot of quality time on the road. Things will even out in February, however, as six of Lincoln's eight games in that month will be played inside Jason Gym.

IT'S A CLASSIC:  Lincoln's first four basketball games of 2021-22 will be played as part of "classics", the first time that's happened since 2018-19. The Blue Tigers were 2-2 in those games, splitting contests with East Central and Minot State at the SBU Classic in Bolivar, Mo. before getting a split with LeMoyne-Owen and Lane in the Lincoln Classic. The Blue Tigers are 14-11 in regular season contests played in a neutral site since the beginning of the 205-16 season.

GET YOUR TICKETS:  Lincoln is partnering with Hometown Ticketing once again to sell tickets to all of LU's basketball games online in 2021-22. For more information, visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets.

JOIN THE CLUB:  The Blue Tiger Athletics Club is a great way to engage with other LU fans while supporting Lincoln student-athletes. Every dollar raised by the club goes towards scholarships, improving facilities and purchasing equipment. To join the BTAC, or to learn more, 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 will next play in the Maryville Thanksgiving Classic in St. Louis, Mo. on Nov. 23-24.