Complete Game Notes
Game #7: Lincoln (4-2, 0-0 MIAA) at Central Missouri (4-3, 0-0 MIAA)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021
Time: 1:00 p.m. CST
Site: UCM Multipurpose Building (8,500) in Warrensburg, Mo.
Tickets: Available at Site
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://ucmathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball/

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln women's basketball team tips off MIAA play on Sunday (Dec. 5) with a trip down to Warrensburg, Mo. to play Central Missouri at 1:00 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers are off to a hot start after going 4-2 in non-conference play, including wins each of their last two road games. Most recently LU played in Fulton, Mo. against Westminster, emerging victorious with a 76-74 win on Nov. 23. The Blue Tigers will try to begin MIAA play with a win against a Central Missouri team that is 4-3 on the year after beating Bellevue at home, 94-59, on Nov. 22.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Central Missouri will meet for the 64th time on Sunday, with the Jennies leading the all-time series, 60-3

- A win would be the third-straight in a true road game for the Blue Tigers, who last accomplished that feat in 2011-12.

- Lincoln's last two wins vs. Central Missouri both came in Warrensburg, as LU won, 82-76, in 2015-16, and 57-53 in 2011-12.

- The last time the Blue Tigers opened their MIAA slate 1-0 was in 2018-19, when Lincoln defeated Northwest Missouri on the road, 69-66, as part of a 7-0 start to the season.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Through the first six games of 2021-22, LU has had a balanced scoring attack, with Le'Yanna McGinnis leading the team with 11.2 ppg. Hya Haywood, who is also averaging 2.7 assists and 2.5 steals, is next with 9.7 points per night, followed by Kelsey Mitchell with 9.5. Ashtin Ingram leads the Blue Tigers with 1.3 blocks per contest.

HEAD COACH ANDREA MIZE:  Andrea Mize is in her second 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. Mize previously was an assistant at Martin Methodist, helping the program reach the NAIA national tournament three times.

LAST TIME OUT
Illinois-Springfield 82, Lincoln 48
A cold shooting night hurt the Blue Tigers, as LU was held to .328 shooting overall and .313 from long distance in an 82-48 loss in Springfield, Ill. on Nov. 18. Kelsey Mitchell led Lincoln with 16 points and Le'Yanna McGinnis scored 11 while Mercy Gonzalez blocked two shots and tallied three steals.

Lincoln 65, William Jewell 50
The Lincoln bench combined to score 36 points and LU poured in 41 second half points as the Blue Tigers defeated William Jewell, 65-50, in Liberty, Mo. on Nov. 20. Le'Yanna McGinnis led Lincoln with 18 points, Ayreona Carter came off the bench to score 16, and Hya Haywood supplied nine points and six assists.

Lincoln 76, Westminster 74
Niyah Jackson scored the final three points of the contest, including making the winning layup after stealing the ball in the final minute of the game, to lead Lincoln to a 76-74 road win over Westminster on Nov. 23. Jackson led Lincoln with 13 points, Hya Haywood was next with 11 and Imani Jones scored 10. Kelsey Mitchell had seven rebounds.

SCOUTING THE JENNIES:  Nearly all of UCM's scoring comes from its starters, with Nija Collier leading the way with 19.4 points and 12.6 boards per game. Brooke Littrell also averages 19.4 points and pulls down 9.7 rebounds per game, while Olivia Nelson averages 17.9 points and a team-high 5.1 assists. Central Missouri's other starters are Charley Bovaird (10.0 ppg.) and Kade Hackerott (6.3 ppg.).

UCM HEAD COACH DAVE SLIFER:  Entering the weekend, Slifer has over 350 victories with the Jennies, the most of any coach in the history of the UCM program, and more than 700 wins in his career. Slifer, who was selected as the WBCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2013, has led the Jennies to 11 seasons with 20 or more wins and the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.

D-D-D-DEFENSE:  The Blue Tigers already have surpassed their win total from 2020-21, and they have done so using a defense that ranks sixth in the MIAA in points allowed at 64.8 per game. Lincoln is leading the league in steals (80) and steals per game (13.3), is sixth in blocks (3.7) and have also done a good job securing second-chance opportunities, as the Blue Tigers lead the MIAA in offensive rebounding (16.8).

TAKE IT AWAY:  The Blue Tigers have stolen the ball 80 times in 2021-22, and currently are 30th in NCAA Division II in total steals and 21st in steals per game (13.3). Lincoln leads the MIAA in both of those categories, as well as in turnovers forced, as LU has created 24.3 takeaways per game, the 18th-most in the country.

BAND OF THIEVES:  When it comes to taking the ball away from the other team, it's a team-wide effort for Lincoln. Nine Blue Tigers have at least five steals on the season, led by 14 from Hya Haywood, who ranks second in the MIAA in steals. AJ Bradley is next with 11 takeaways, the 11th-most in the conference.

UP THE BLOCK:  Ashtin Ingram is in just her second year as a Blue Tiger, but she's already added her name to the record books. Ingram has blocked 49 shots over the past two seasons, placing her eighth all-time on LU's career block list. Ingram needs just six more blocks to surpass Andrea Sykes (54 career rejections) for seventh on the all-time list.

OFF THE GLASS:  Lincoln once again has excelled on the offensive glass, as the Blue Tigers have secured 101 boards to lead the MIAA and rank 21st in NCAA Division II in offensive rebounding. The Blue Tigers led the MIAA in offensive rebounding last year, and this year average 16.8 offensive boards per contest. Individually, Imani Jones leads the team with 14 offensive boards while Le'Yanna McGinnis has 12 offensive rebounds.

NICE NOVEMBER:  The first month of the season has been a successful one for the Blue Tigers, who ended the month of November with a 4-2 record. The last time LU had a winning record at the end of November was in the 2018-19 campaign, as Lincoln finished the month 5-0 en route to a 10-18 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 14 Lincoln home games will be broadcast through a 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 returns to Jason Gym to host Missouri Western on Thursday (Dec. 9) at 5:30 p.m. CST.