Complete Game Notes
Game #21: Newman (3-17, 3-17 MIAA) at Lincoln (11-9, 11-9 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
 
Game #22: Lincoln at Central Missouri (6-14, 6-14 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Warrensburg, Mo.
Live Stats: https://ucmathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Audio: http://www.facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics
 
THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team ends the 2020-21 regular season this week, as LU jockeys for position in the MIAA tournament with a pair of league contests. Lincoln will celebrate Senior Night on Thursday (Feb. 25) as the Blue Tigers host Newman at 7:30 p.m. CST in their final regular season home game. Lincoln then visits Warrensburg, Mo. to close the season against the team it opened 2020-21 against, as LU plays Central Missouri at 3:00 p.m. CST. Lincoln has already played both teams earlier this year, beating UCM in the season opener, 86-80, on Nov. 21, and notching an 80-73 road win over Newman on Feb. 11. With one more victory, LU will clinch a winning season.
 
FAST BREAKS
- The Blue Tigers will play Newman for the ninth time on Thursday, but just the third as conference rivals. NU leads the all-time series, 7-2.
 
- Lincoln has won each of its past two games against the Jets, with both victories coming on the road. LU won at Newman, 74-72, last season, and beat the Jets again in Wichita, Kan., 80-73, on Feb. 11.
 
- The Blue Tigers and Central Missouri will meet for the 98th time on Saturday, with UCM leading the series, 60-37. The home team has won each of the past seven games, and LU and UCM have split the season series each of the past four years.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Sai Witt is averaging close to a double-double (15.9 ppg., 8.6 rpg.) and Cameron Potts is averaging 11.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.6 rebounds as Lincoln is 11-9 on the season. Quinton Drayton has scored at least 25 points in three games and averages 16.6 ppg. on the year while Yaniel Vidal averages 9.1 ppg. Mid-season addition Derrick Woods averages 12.3 points and 3.6 rebounds.
 
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
Fort Hays State 84, Lincoln 67
Lincoln shot .571 from the floor in the first half, but just .280 in the second as FHSU pulled away for a win last Thursday (Feb. 18). Cameron Potts scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and had four assists while Quinton Drayton led LU in both scoring (19) and rebounding (seven).
 
Lincoln 68, Nebraska Kearney 65
Yaniel Vidal chased down a loose ball and hit the game-winning three with 0.4 seconds remaining to give Lincoln a road win vs. Nebraska Kearney on Saturday (Feb. 20). Derrick Woods scored 18 and Cameron Potts chipped in 13 to go with six assists, five rebounds and two steals. Sai Witt added nine points and eight boards, and Quinton Drayton finished with 11 points.
 
SCOUTING THE JETS:  Joel Boyce (14.4 ppg.) and Branden Bunn (11.6 ppg.) lead Newman on the offensive side of the ball, with Boyce leading the Jets with 7.2 rebounds. Newman turns the ball over at an average of 15.7 times per game, and NU averages 67.4 points per contest.
 
NU HEAD COACH RJ ALLEN:  The fourth-year coach of the Jets is 46-59 overall, and led NU to a 20-9 season and third place in the Heartland Conference standings in 2018-19. That followed a 2017-18 campaign in which Newman won 10 HC games, its highest total in league games since the 2012-13 season.
 
SCOUTING THE MULES:  Five players account for most of Central Missouri's scoring, led by Koray Gilbert with 12.7 points per night. Next on the scoring chart is Cameron Hunter with 12.2 ppg., followed by Ja'Cor Nelson (10.6), Gaven Pinkley (10.0) and Jalen Blaize (8.2). Pinkley is the team's top rebounder (4.6 rpg.) and Hunter leads the team with 3.1 assists per game.
 
UCM HEAD COACH DOUG KARLESKINT:  In his seventh season as the head coach of the Mules, Karleskint has directed Central Missouri to more than 100 wins and a trip to the NCAA Division II tournament. Karleskint came to UCM after a four-year career at Arkansas Tech in which he won 89 games and qualified for the NCAA tournament every year.
 
PLAYERS 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 MIAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week. Witt has since been named the Black College Sports Network Small School Player of the Week twice (Dec. 22 & Feb. 2). BCSN also recognized Quinton Drayton with the same accolade after averaging 26.5 points in games vs. Rogers State and Northeastern State.
 
TOP-25 WINS:  This season, Lincoln has 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). Under coach John Moseley, LU has four Top-25 wins, all at home, and this is the first time in at least 40 years that LU has multiple top-25 wins in a season.
 
SCOUTING THE STANDINGS:  The Blue Tigers currently are tied for fourth in the MIAA standings with a mark of 11-9, and the next three teams are tied with 10 victories each. Lincoln is tied with Missouri Western and Fort Hays State, and split the season series with both programs. LU has not yet clinched a bid to the eight-team MIAA Men's Basketball Championship, but could end up hosting one of the four quarterfinal games if the Blue Tigers finish among the top-four.
 
OFF THE GLASS:  Lincoln has won the rebounding battle in 11 games this year, and owns a 10-1 record when ending the game with more boards than the opponent. LU ranks seventh in NCAA Division II with 701 total rebounds, with Sai Witt leading the MIAA, and ranking 21st nationally, with 3.5 offensive boards per game.
 
TRIPLE THREAT:  Cameron Potts became just the third NCAA Division II player, and the first from the MIAA, to record a triple-double when he tallied 15 points, 12 boards and 10 assists in LU's win over Northeastern State. Potts, who averages 11.1 points, ranks second in Division II with 106 assists and 27th nationally in dimes per game (5.3).
 
BAND OF THIEVES:  Lincoln is fifth in Division II with 159 steals on the year. Cameron Potts is second in the MIAA and seventh nationally with 41 steals, while Yaniel Vidal is 17th in DII with 34 takeaways.
 
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:  If the Blue Tigers make the 2021 MIAA tournament, they will play on Wednesday (March 3) at a site and time to be determined.