JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Four Blue Tigers reached double figures and LU scored 28 points off turnovers as the Lincoln men's basketball team won its season opener, 82-61, over William Woods on Monday night (Nov. 14).

Kevin Kone posted a double-double, scoring 16 points to go with 15 rebounds and a block, and Artese Stapleton added 13 points, four boards, two steals and a team-high four assists. Sam Rautins provided 12 points while Franck Yetna finished the night with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and a takeaway.

The Blue Tigers, who led by as many as 28 in the second half, forced William Woods (1-3) into 17 turnovers, and Lincoln received 40 points from its bench compared to just 15 for WWU's reserves. Lincoln also held a dominant 24-11 advantage on the offensive glass, with the Blue Tigers scoring 23 second chance points.

Lincoln led for 38:01 of the contest, as the Owls' biggest lead of the night was a one-point advantage with 16:28 remaining in the first half. LU passed the ball, finishing with 15 total assists, including three by DJ Richardson, who also had a steal and a rebound. Richard Craddock also had an assist while Caleb Wright contributed six points, six rebounds and a block to the Lincoln cause.

Arash Yaqubi and Tyvin Garrison each had eight points, with Yaqubi pulling down three rebounds and Garrison notching a steal. Tyson Robinson recorded a rebound and an assist, and Emmette Page ended the day with seven points, an assist and a steal. Jamar Madge, Jr., meanwhile, supplied three boards, an assist and a steal.

With the victory, first-year head coach Jimmy Drew becomes the first head coach of the LU men's basketball team to open his initial season with a win since Bill Pope, who started his inaugural season with the Blue Tigers 2-0 in 1997-98.

The Blue Tigers will attempt to improve to 2-0 on Thursday night (Nov. 17) when Lincoln hosts Harris Stowe in a battle of Missouri's HBCUs. Tip-off in Jason Gym is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.