JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln men's basketball team opened its game against the defending national champions on an 8-0 run, but Northwest Missouri used some hot shooting from beyond the arc to beat the Blue Tigers, 84-54, on Saturday (Dec. 11).

Derrick Woods got Lincoln (1-7, 0-3 MIAA) on the board early with a corner three, and Chris Baldwin made a jumper off a rebound by Mekhi Kimble, The two switched roles soon after, with Baldwin collecting a rebound and Kimble making the shot, this time from long range. Northwest Missouri (9-1, 3-0 MIAA) scored the game's next four points, but Woods stopped the run by converting an old-fashioned three-point play for an 11-4 Blue Tiger advantage.

The Bearcats, however, had the hotter shooting hands for this game, as Northwest Missouri shot .518 from the field and drained 13 treys. A 17-0 scoring run late in the first half allowed the Bearcats to take a 49-24 advantage into the break. The second half was closer, with NWMSU holding just a 35-30 edge in scoring, but the Blue Tigers made just five treys on the afternoon, and shot .352 for the ballgame.

Woods scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, Baldwin finished with three points and three boards, and Kimble added five points and three rebounds to the Lincoln cause. Chuck Wilson led LU with 11 points and collected four rebounds, while Josh Wallace came off the bench to provide eight points and four boards.

Ni'Sean Rigmaiden dished a team-high five assists while chipping in four points, notching a steal and pulling down a pair of rebounds. Tre'vion Crawford ended the day with seven points, four boards and two assists, and John Gaines scored four points and had three boards and an assist. Arash Yaqubi closed the scoring with three points and Destan Williams recorded an assist.

Lincoln will finish the 2021 portion of its schedule on the road, starting on Wednesday (Dec. 15) with a 7:30 p.m. CST game in Pittsburg, Kan. against Pittsburg State.