JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln men's basketball team scored 24 points off turnovers and had three players reach double figures as the Blue Tigers improved to 2-0 on the season with a 78-49 victory over Harris Stowe on Thursday night (Nov. 17). The game featured the only two HBCU's in the state of Missouri, and LU improved to 21-2 all-time against the Hornets.

The Blue Tigers overcame a cold start, as Harris Stowe (0-5) led 10-8 after 10 minutes of play. Two big shots ended up producing a massive momentum shift, beginning with a three-pointer by Artese Stapleton with 9:08 until halftime. Later in the period, Franck Yetna grabbed a rebound and Emmette Page drained a three on the opposite end to give Lincoln a 14-10 advantage. Stapleton finished the day with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal while Page provided 10 points and three boards.

Lincoln finished the first half strong, going on a 17-4 run over the final five minutes to take a 35-18 lead into the break. Sam Rautins came off the bench to sink a pair of long-distance shots to key the run, and ended the day with nine points and two steals. LU received 27 total points from its reserves, including six by Yetna, who also had seven rebounds and a team-high three steals.

In the second half, the Blue Tigers shot .452 from the field and, late in the game, led by as many as 34. 12 different players represented Lincoln on the court, including Richard Craddock, who had a rebound, and Tyson Robinson.

Kevin Kone led the Blue Tigers with 17 points and eight rebounds on the evening, and also dished two assists to go with a steal and a block. Caleb Wright pulled down five rebounds to go with three points, and Jamar Madge, Jr. filled the stat sheet with six points, three boards, a trio of assists and two takeaways. The LU defense forced Harris Stowe into 20 turnovers, recording 11 steals in the process.

DJ Richardson tied for the team-high with three assists and chipped in three points to go with a steal and four rebounds. Tyvin Garrison contributed five points and three rebounds to the winning cause, and Arash Yaqubi closed the scoring with four points, four rebounds and a steal.

Lincoln closes its season-opening three-game homestand on Saturday (Nov. 19) by hosting Calvary at 12:00 p.m. CST.