Game #11: Emporia State (9-3, 4-2 MIAA) at Lincoln (1-9, 0-5 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jason Gym (1,538) in Jefferson City, Mo.
Tickets: $10 for Adults, $8 for Students, Free for Lincoln Students With a Valid ID
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team opens 2022 at home today by hosting Emporia State in an MIAA contest. The Blue Tigers seek both their first win of the new year and their first MIAA win of the season today, as Lincoln is 0-5 in the conference despite a number of hard-fought performances in those games. Emporia State enters the weekend 4-2 in the league and 9-3 overall, as the Hornets have won eight of their past 10 games. ESU leads the all-time series, 18-13, but Lincoln has won eight of the last nine meetings.

REAPING REBOUNDS:  LU is among the best teams in the MIAA in securing rebounds, ranking sixth in the league with 34.5 boards per contest. Lincoln is fifth in the conference on the offensive glass, grabbing 9.7 rebounds per night. Lincoln is led by Chris Baldwin with 7.0 boards per game, while Chuck Wilson is next with 4.6.

FROM DOWNTOWN:  Lincoln is shooting .370 from three-point range this season, the sixth-best percentage in the MIAA and the 71st-best in NCAA Division II. Chuck Wilson leads LU with 20 made three-pointers, followed by Ni'Sean Rigmaiden with 16. The Blue Tigers have made 87 three-pointers on the season, and their 8.7 treys per games ranks sixth in the MIAA.

DROPPING DIMES:  Ni'Sean Rigmaiden drops 3.7 dimes per contest, ranking seventh in the MIAA in assists, while his 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio rates seventh in the league as well. As a team, Lincoln is sixth in the MIAA in assists per game with a 13.5 average.

GEAR UP FOR THE GAME:  Get your Blue Tiger jerseys, apparel, accessories, office supplies and much, much more at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store of LU athletics. You can get everything you will need for basketball season, with a portion of all sales going directly to support all 12 LU athletic programs.

NEXT UP:  The Blue Tigers travel to Kearney, Neb. on Thursday (Jan. 6) as LU plays Nebraska Kearney at 7:30 p.m. CST.