Complete Game Notes
Game #15: Lincoln (1-13, 1-13 MIAA) at Missouri Southern (6-9, 6-9 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021
Time: 5:30 p.m. CST
Site: Joplin, Mo.
Live Stats: https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Audio: https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLU

Game #16: Lincoln at Pittsburg State (10-5, 10-5 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021
Time: 1:30 p.m. CST
Site: Pittsburg, Kan.
Live Stats: https://pittstategorillas.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/
Live Audio: https://www.facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics

THE TIP OFF:  It's back to the road for the first two of three-straight road games for the LU women's basketball team, as Lincoln plays a pair of rematches from earlier in the season. The Blue Tigers first head to Joplin, Mo. on Thursday (Feb. 4) to play Missouri Southern in a 5:30 p.m. CST contest. Up next is Pittsburg State on Saturday (Feb. 6), with tip-off in Pittsburg, Kan. scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CST. In LU's first meeting with Missouri Southern, the Lions won 81-65 in Lincoln's 2020-21 season opener on Nov. 28. On Dec. 10, the Blue Tigers played Pittsburg State tough for most of the day before dropping an 83-76 decision. Both of those games were played in Jefferson City.

FAST BREAKS
- On Thursday, Lincoln and Missouri Southern will meet for the 37th time. The Lions lead the all-time series, 33-3.

- Lincoln is playing for its first win over MSSU since 2011-12, when LU swept the season series with a 67-66 victory on the road and a 66-61 win in Jason Gym.

- Saturday marks the 38th meeting between Lincoln and Pittsburg State. The Gorillas lead the series, 36-1.

- LU's victory over Pittsburg State came in the first round of the 2012 MIAA championship, as the Blue Tigers handed PSU, then ranked No. 12 in the country, a 83-77 loss in Kansas City.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln is led offensively by Niyah Jackson with 14.3 points and 3.4 assists per game while Vivian Chigbu (6.0 ppg.) is the top rebounder with 6.6 per night. AJ Bradley averages 13.1 points and Aliyah Bello averages 7.6 points and 4.1 boards. Ashtin Ingram's 28 blocks are a team-high, and Simone Jordan is tallying 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds.

HEAD COACH ANDREA MIZE:  Andrea Mize is in her first 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. A graduate of Indiana, Mize previously was an assistant coach at Martin Methodist, where she helped the program reach the NAIA national tournament three times.

LAST TIME OUT
Lincoln 72, Northwest Missouri 46
The Blue Tigers out-scored the Bearcats 58-34 over the game's final 30 minutes en route to their first win of 2020-21 on Thursday (Jan. 28). Lincoln held a 51-34 advantage in rebounding, and AJ Bradley lit up the scoreboard with 25 points while Simone Jordan added 12. Niyah Jackson finished with 11 points and Aliyah Bello chipped in 10, and Vivian Chigbu led LU with 12 rebounds.

Missouri Western 84, Lincoln 72
The Blue Tigers surrendered 30 first quarter points and the Griffons held off a late LU rally to win in Jason Gym on Saturday (Jan. 30). Aliyah Bello led five LU players in double digits with 15 points while Vivian Chigbu had nine rebounds.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:  Madi Stokes averages a double-double with 11.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. She has also blocked 34 shots, leading the MIAA in that category. Carley Turnbull is the other top scorer for Missouri Southern, as she is averaging 14.0 points and 5.1 boards. Missouri Southern is 64.7 points while allowing 67.6 points per contest.

MSSU HEAD COACH RONNIE RESSEL:  An alum of MSSU, Ressel was promoted to head coach in 2016 after spending the previous three years as an assistant with the program. Ressel helped the Lions average 19 wins as an assistant and has won 47 games as the head coach. Before he began his tenure with the women's team, he served as an assistant with the MSSU men's team.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS:  Tristan Gegg leads Pittsburg State with 17.3 points per night while Kaylee DaMitz (16.7) and Maya Williams (10.5) are also prolific scorers. Julia Johnsons' 6.1 rebounds are leading the team, and DaMitz enters the week averaging 5.6 assists. DaMitz also leads the team with 30 steals.

PSU HEAD COACH AMANDA DAVIED:  After serving as an assistant coach with the Gorillas for 14 seasons, Davied was promoted to head coach beginning with the 2018-19 season. In three years, she has led PSU to 48 victories. As an assistant, Davied helped Pittsburg State go 283-160 with five trips to the NCAA Division II tournament and the 2017 MIAA regular season championship.

BASKETS FOR BRADLEY:  Over the last few games, AJ Bradley has emerged as a scoring threat, as she has posted four 20-point games in Lincoln's last six contests. Bradley poured in 27 against Central Oklahoma, then did one better with a 28-point night vs. Rogers State. Bradley, who also scored 20 against Northeastern State and 25 in the victory over Northwest Missouri, averages 13.1 points for the season, the 15th-most in the MIAA.

TO THE LINE:  One key factor to AJ Bradley's success has been her ability to get to the free throw line, where she is shooting .741 on the season. Bradley has attempted 116 free throws in 2020-21, the most of any player in NCAA DII. She has made 86 of those attempts, the second-most of any DII player in the country.

LISTEN LIVE:  Lincoln's road game at Missouri Southern will air on 88.9 FM KJLU in Jefferson City, with fans not in the area able to listen by clicking the link on the schedule page at www.LUBlueTigers.com. The game at Pittsburg State will air over Facebook Live on LU's Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/BlueTigerAthletics.

TABULATING TAKEAWAYS:  Lincoln, which has 109 steals on the year, ranks 31st nationally and fourth in the MIAA in total steals. Lincoln's 7.8 steals per game are the fifth-most in the MIAA, while its 16.6 turnovers forced per contest rates third in the league. Individually, AJ Bradley ranks fifth in the conference with 25 steals, followed by Niyah Jackson (21 steals), Haylie Holloway (20) and Aliyah Bello (18).

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK:  Newcomer Ashtin Ingram has 28 blocks, the second-most in the MIAA and the seventh-most in NCAA Division II. Ingram, who has seven starts and averages 20.1 minutes per night, is ranked 18th nationally with 2.0 rejections per game.

UNDE-NIYAH-BLE:  Niyah Jackson eclipsed the 20-point twice this season, and her 14.3 ppg. average ranks 13th in the MIAA. Her 3.4 assists per game rank seventh in the league, and her .432 field goal percentage is the seventh-best in the conference. She has scored at least 10 points in all but one game this season.

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:  Lincoln remains on the road to take on Emporia State in Emporia, Kan. on Thursday (Feb. 11) at 6:00 p.m. CST.