Complete Game Notes
Game #23: No. 6 Lincoln (12-10) at No. 3 Missouri Western (13-9)
Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: MWSU Fieldhouse (3,750) in St. Joseph, Mo.
Tickets: Available on a Limited Basis at https://gogriffons.com/sports/2020/10/7/box-office.aspx
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com
Radio Broadcast - 88.9 FM KJLU: https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLU
Live Stats: https://gogriffons.com/sidearmstats/mbball/

THE TIP OFF:  For the sixth-straight season, the Lincoln men's basketball team will compete in the postseason, as the Blue Tigers play in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, presented by Citizens Bank & Trust, on Wednesday evening (March 3). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST as Lincoln heads to St. Joseph, Mo. to play Missouri Western. The Blue Tigers ended the regular season tied for fifth with a 12-10 record, and hold the No. 6 seed in the tournament. Missouri Western tied for third and has the No. 3 seed after finishing the regular season 13-9. The winner of Wednesday's game advances to the semifinals, where it will play the winner of the Rogers State-Washburn game on Friday (March 5).

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Missouri Western have met 48 times, with MWSU leading the series, 35-13.

- LU and MWSU played twice in the regular season and split the series. The Griffons won in St. Joseph, 89-73, on Dec. 3, and the Blue Tigers won in Jefferson City, 95-74, on Jan. 30.

- This is the sixth-consecutive year that Lincoln will play in the MIAA Championship. In four of the previous five years, LU won its first round game, including twice at conference sites. With a win, Lincoln would advance to the semifinals for the second time in the last three years.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Sai Witt is averaging close to a double-double (16.1 ppg., 8.2 rpg.) and Cameron Potts is averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 assists and 5.6 rebounds as Lincoln is 12-10 on the season. Quinton Drayton has scored at least 25 points in three games and averages 16.0 ppg. on the year while Yaniel Vidal averages 9.1 ppg. Mid-season addition Derrick Woods averages 11.5 points and 3.4 rebounds.

HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY:  Now in his seventh season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers, Moseley has led Lincoln to six-straight postseason appearances, and guided the team to five winning seasons. 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
Lincoln 80, Newman 62
Five Blue Tigers scored in double figures, led by Sai Witt with 16 points, as Lincoln beat Newman in its final home game of 2020-21 on Thursday (Feb. 25). Cameron Potts scored 10 points and dished 11 assists, Derrick Woods and Quinton Drayton each chipped in 11 points, and Jordan Notch finished with 10 points. Lincoln shot .593 for the game, including .600 in the second half.

Central Missouri 81, Lincoln 62
Sai Witt scored 18 points, Yaniel Vidal finished with 16 and Quinton Drayton had 10, but LU fell to Central Missouri on the road in its final game of the 2020-21 regular season. Cameron Potts had nine points, six boards and four assists.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS:  Tyrell Carroll, with 18.5 ppg., is one of five MWSU players who are averaging double digit points. Will Eames is averaging a team-high 8.9 rebounds and 12.5 points, and Q Mays is averaging 11.1 ppg. Reese Glover (11.7 ppg.) and Caleb Bennett (11.4 ppg.) are next on the scoring chart, and Alex John has a team-high 23 blocks.

MWSU HEAD COACH WILL MARTIN:  The first-year coach of the Griffons has led MWSU to the No. 3 seed in the MIAA Championship. Martin spent the past two seasons working as an assistant coach with Missouri Western, and before that worked at San Francisco and Martin Methodist.

TOURNAMENT TIME:  Lincoln is making its ninth trip to the MIAA Postseason Tournament and its sixth in the past six years this week. LU has twice advanced to the championship game, losing to Truman State in 1981 and falling to Southeastern Missouri in 1987. Overall, LU is 7-8 in MIAA tournament games, including 2-1 in overtime. In six of its past seven postseason trips, LU has won at least one tournament game.

YANI FOR 3:  Few MIAA players are as hot from beyond the arc as Yaniel Vidal, whose 53 treys are the seventh-most in the conference and the 20th-most in NCAA Division II. He averages 2.4 three-pointers per night, the eighth-most in the league, and his .427 accuracy rate from long distance is third in the MIAA.

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.

DRAY DAY:  Quinton Drayton is the only Blue Tigers to start every game in 2020-21, and his 16.0 points per game are the second-most on the team and the ninth-most in the MIAA. Drayton has made 134 field goals, the ninth-most in NCAA Division II, and his 353 total points are the 19th-most in the country.

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 eighth in NCAA Division II with 757 total rebounds, with Sai Witt leading the MIAA, and ranking 22nd nationally, with 3.4 offensive boards per game.

TRIPLE THREAT:  Cameron Potts tallied 15 points, 12 boards and 10 assists in LU's win over Northeastern State, and is one of four NCAA Division II players with a triple-double this year. Potts, who averages 11.0 points, ranks third in Division II with 121 assists and 17th nationally in dimes per game (5.5). His 5.6 rebounds per game are the 16th-most in the MIAA.

BAND OF THIEVES:  The Blue Tigers are one of Division II's top teams in terms of takeaways, as Lincoln is fourth in the country with 178 total steals. LU averages 8.1 steals per game as a team, while Cameron Potts ranks fourth in DII with 46 takeaways. Yaniel Vidal, meanwhile, ranks 19th in the nation with 37 steals.

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 win on Wednesday, it will play in the semifinals of the MIAA tourney on Saturday at a date and time to be announced.