Complete Game Notes
Game #1: William Woods (1-3) at Lincoln (0-0)
Date: Monday, Nov. 14, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers
 
Game #2: Harris Stowe (0-3) at Lincoln
Date: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers
 
Game #3: Calvary (0-0) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022
Time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers
 
THE TIP OFF:  After a huge exhibition win over an NCAA Division I program, the Lincoln men's basketball team opens its regular season with three games inside Jason Gym this week. The first official contest of 2022-23 for the Blue Tigers is on Monday (Nov. 14), when LU takes on William Woods in a 7:00 p.m. CST contest. On Thursday (Nov. 17), the Blue Tigers play Harris Stowe at 7:00 p.m. CST in a game between Missouri's two HBCUs. Lincoln closes the homestand on Saturday (Nov. 19) by hosting Calvary at 12:00 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers made some noise last Monday (Nov. 7) by defeating Summit League program Missouri-Kansas City, 59-56, to open the era of new head coach Jimmy Drew.
 
FAST BREAKS
- Despite being just 27 miles away from one another, on Monday, Lincoln and William Woods will meet for the first time in the regular season.
 
- Lincoln and Harris Stowe will meet for the 23rd time on Thursday, with the Blue Tigers leading the series, 20-2. HSSU won the last meeting, 89-84, in the Show-Me State Classic in St. Louis, Mo. in 2019.
 
- The Blue Tigers will host Harris Stowe for the first time since hosting the Hornets to open the 2008-09 season. LU won that game, 93-69.
 
- Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Blue Tigers and Calvary, a National Christian College Athletics Association Division II program.
 
- Lincoln last won its season opener in 2020-21, when the Blue Tigers beat Central Missouri, 86-80. Lincoln has won each of its past two home openers and four of its last five. Should LU win all three games this week, it will be its first 3-0 start to a season since 2015-16.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  The 2022-23 Blue Tigers consist of four returners and 11 new players. Sai Witt is back after missing the 2021-22 campaign, and Tre'vion Crawford is Lincoln's top returner from last season, when he averaged 10 points per contest. Richard Craddock, a red-shirt player last year, and Arash Yaqubi are the other two returners.
 
HEAD COACH JIMMY DREW:  In his first year as the head coach at Lincoln, Drew came to LU following a six-year run on the staff at Division I Central Florida. Drew helped lead UCF to a pair of 20-win seasons and a berth in the second round of the NCAA tournament, and he coached three players who continued their careers in the NBA.
 
LAST TIME OUT:  The Blue Tigers defeated UMKC in an exhibition contest, 59-56, in Kansas City last Monday (Nov. 7). Kevin Kone posted a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds while Artese Stapleton added 16 points and eight boards. Lincoln held UMKC to just .200 shooting from three-point range and .389 overall, and had nine steals while forcing 22 turnovers.
 
SCOUTING THE OWLS:  Three players average double digit points for William Woods, which is 1-3 on the season. Nathan Schwartze leads WWU in scoring (15.8) and assists (4.8) while grabbing 6.3 boards per contest. Darius Yohe leads the team with 7.3 boards per game while scoring 10.3 points, and Spencer Yoggerst is averaging 12.5 points per contest.
 
WWU HEAD COACH CHARLES BELT: Now in his fourth year as the coach of William Woods, Belt led the Owls to an 18-14 record last season. Belt has coached eight All-AMC players, three of whom were named the AMC Defensive Player of the Year, and four selections to the league's all-freshmen team. Belt came to William Woods after coaching stints at Northern Michigan and Beloit.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Harris Stowe, which enters the week with a 0-4 record, had its first double-double of the season recorded by Alex Nunnally with a 20-point, 13-rebound night against Evangel. Patrick Evans led HSSU with 14 points against Crowley, and Jamarric Hammond and Taj Toney tied for the team-lead in scoring in the opener against Philander Smith with 10 points apiece.
 
HSSU HEAD COACH MICHAEL COOK:  The first-year head coach of Harris Stowe joined HSSU this spring after a 15-year run as the leader at Fort Scott Community College. During that run, Cook coached 45 players who continued their careers at four-year colleges. In his final year at Fort Scott, the program was at one point ranked No. 11 in the nation.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS:  Demetrius White-Thomas averaged 8.8 points per game last season to lead all of Calvary's returners. Joseph Morrow is next with 6.4 ppg., and he was also the Warriors' leader with 25 steals in 2021-22. Jamal Smith is Calvary's other top returner, as he had 5.9 points per contest a year ago.
 
CU HEAD COACH MATT SANDERS:  Sanders enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Calvary Warriors, who had not played yet in 2022-23 entering this week. Sanders, who was the first head coach in Truett-McConnell College's history, led Calvary to its first-ever win in the conference tournament in 2017-18. He previously was the head coach at Heirway Christian, leading the high school to two state championships.
 
TAKING DOWN DIVISION I:  Lincoln's win over Missouri-Kansas City in the exhibition game on Nov. 7 was the first victory over a Division I opponent for the Blue Tigers since 1978-79, when LU beat Arkansas-Little Rock in Jefferson City, 84-60. That was one of two regular season wins over a DI for LU, which also beat UALR, then a DI Independent, in 1977-78.
 
RUNNING WITH THE ROOS:  Lincoln has historically played well against UMKC, as the Blue Tigers are 4-4 all-time against the Roos in the regular season. UMKC was a member of NCAA Division II in each of those eight games. The last time LU played a Division I Missouri-Kansas City team, the Blue Tigers nearly pulled off an exhibition upset, falling to the Roos by a final of 73-72 after a buzzer-beating shot attempt by LU ricocheted off the rim in 2015.
 
STARTS AT HOME:  Lincoln begins the 2022-23 season with three-straight home games, the first time that's been the case since 1979-80, when LU posted a 2-1 start before finishing with an 11-12 record. The last Lincoln opened a season by winning three-straight home games was in 1977-78, when Lincoln's first four contests of the year were at home. LU started that season 7-0 and finished 22-6.
 
STARTING STRONG:  If the Blue Tigers beat William Woods on Monday, Jimmy Drew will become the first LU coach to begin his tenure with a victory since 1997-98. That year, Bill Pope let Lincoln to an 84-73 home win against Alaska-Fairbanks en route to starting the season 2-0. Pope ended up coaching six seasons at Lincoln.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS:  Lincoln is partnering with Hometown Ticketing once again to sell tickets to all of LU's basketball games online in 2022-23. 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 14 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:  The Blue Tigers will be off until Nov. 28, when Lincoln opens MIAA play at Pittsburg State in a 7:30 p.m. CST contest.