Complete Game Notes
Game #13: Lincoln (1-11, 0-7 MIAA) at Rogers State (10-6, 4-6 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Claremore, Okla.
Live Stats: https://rsuhillcats.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #14: Lincoln at Northeastern State (8-8, 3-7 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Tahlequah, Okla.
Live Stats: https://goriverhawksgo.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team tips off a five-game road trip this week with a pair of MIAA games in Oklahoma. On Thursday (Jan. 20), Lincoln heads to Claremore, Okla. to play Rogers State at 7:30 p.m. CST. On Saturday (Jan. 22), LU visits Tahlequah, Okla. to take on Northeastern State at 3:30 p.m. CST. LU is seeking its first league win of the season after falling to nationally ranked Central Oklahoma, 82-55, at home on Saturday (Jan. 15). Rogers State enters the week with a 10-6 overall record and a 4-6 mark in conference play after having a four-game win streak snapped by Central Oklahoma on Jan. 8. RSU has not played since then, as its only scheduled game in that span was postponed. NSU is 8-8 overall but 3-7 in league play and has dropped its past three games.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Rogers State have only met twice, with RSU defeating LU in each of the last two seasons.

- The Blue Tigers last played the Hillcats a year ago in Jason Gym, with Rogers State winning, 82-80.

- Lincoln and Northeastern State are meeting for the 13th time on Saturday, with NSU leading the all-time series, 7-5.

- The Blue Tigers won their last meeting with NSU, 91-76, in Jefferson City last season.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Ni'Sean Rigmaiden (9.3 ppg.), Derrick Woods (9.3 ppg.) and Chuck Wilson (9.0 ppg.) are Lincoln's main scorers, with Rigmaiden also averaging 2.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds. Woods is averaging 4.3 boards and Wilson averages 4.4, while Destan Williams leads LU with 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

HEAD COACH ED WILSON:  Last spring, Ed Wilson was elevated to the position of interim head coach after serving as Lincoln's assistant coach the previous seven seasons. In that span, Wilson helped lead Lincoln to six postseason berths, including a trip to the semifinals of the 2019 MIAA Championship. Wilson has coached 16 Blue Tigers to some form of All-MIAA honor.

LAST TIME OUT:  It was a 39-32 game at the half, but Central Oklahoma, which was ranked No. 22 in the country in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, scored 43 second half points to pull away for an 82-55 win over the Blue Tigers last Saturday (Jan. 15). LU was led offensively by Yaniel Vidal (13 points), Ni'Sean Rigmaiden (12) and Mark Boland (10), while Destan Williams and Chuck Wilson each dished three assists.

SCOUTING THE HILLCATS:  Devin Pullum leads Rogers State with 16.6 points and 2.6 assists per contest, while Joey Saracco is next in points with 10.3 per game. Saracco leads RSU with 5.5 rebounds per game, and Brewster Peacock is next in scoring with 9.6 per night, and Tylan Dean, who averages 8.9 points, leads the Hillcats with 1.6 steals per contest.

RSU HEAD COACH JUSTIN BARKLEY:  The third head coach in Rogers State history, Barkley is now in his 12th year leading the team and has led the program to at least 16 wins in each of his first 10 seasons. Barkley, who won a national title as a player at Northeastern State, has directed the Hillcats through transitions from the NAIA into NCAA DII and now into the MIAA.

SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS:  Northeastern State has three players scoring in double figures, led by Emeka Obukwelu with 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. Christian Cook (16.4 ppg.) and Rashad Perkins (13.6 ppg.) are NSU's other top scorers, while Brad Davis leads the team with 4.4 assists per night. Tyler Arnold, meanwhile, is averaging 8.1 points, 5.6 boards and 2.8 assists.

NSU HEAD COACH JA HAVENS:  After winning three GAC championships in seven seasons at East Central, Ja Havens came home to his alma mater to serve as the head coach of the RiverHawks in 2020-21. Havens won 131 games at East Central and had a winning record every season. In his first season at NSU, Havens led the team to a 5-17 record both overall and in MIAA play.

NO FOUL, NO HARM:  The Blue Tigers have been called for just 201 fouls in 2021-22, making LU the least penalized team in the MIAA this year. Lincoln, which is also 56th nationally in fewest fouls committed, has only been sent to the free thow line 164 times, however, compared to 208 opportunities for opponents. Lincoln shoots .604 at the line while LU's opponents shoot .736 from the charity stripe.

WELCOME BACK:  Rejoining Lincoln starting this week is Sai Witt, one of LU's leading scorers in 2020-21. Witt, a second team All-MIAA player, was one of four finalists for the Black College Sports Network's NCAA Division II Player of the Year Award after averaging 16.1 points and 8.2 boards. Witt earned three player of the week awards last season, and shot .560 from the floor, the third-best average in the MIAA.

HELPING HANDS:  The Blue Tigers are doing a good job moving the ball, as Lincoln ranks sixth in the MIAA in assists with 13.2 per contest. LU is led in this category by Destan Williams, who is averaging 3.8 assists, the fifth-most in the league. Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is 11th in the league with 2.9 assists per contest.

EVERY GAME STARTER:  Chuck Wilson is the only Blue Tiger who has started all 12 games this year, as Lincoln has used six different starting-five combinations in 2021-22. Wilson, who has scored at least 10 points in five games this year, is leading the Blue Tigers in rebounding (4.4) and is fourth in scoring (9.0). Wilson is shooting .374 from the field and .750 at the free throw line.

FROM DOWNTOWN:  Lincoln is shooting .352 from three-point range this season, the seventh-best percentage in the MIAA. Ni'Sean Rigmaiden leads the Blue Tigers with a .488 accuracy rate, and is second on the team with 20 made treys on the year. Chuck Wilson leads Lincoln with 22 made three-pointers, and Mark Boland and Derrick Woods are each next with 13 and 12, respectively. Tre'Vion Crawford is shooting .467 from beyond the arc.

LU IN THE MIAA:  The Blue Tigers rank highly in the league in several statistics, including rating third in the MIAA with 10.0 offensive rebounds per game. Lincoln also is seventh in three-point percentage (.352), first in fewest fouls (201), and LU is sixth in both assists per game (13.2) and in rebounds per contest (34.6).

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 12 LU 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 travels to Maryville, Mo. next Thursday (Jan. 27) to play Northwest Missouri at 7:30 p.m. CST.