PITTSBURG, Kan. - Three members of the Lincoln men's basketball team scored in double figures, but the Blue Tigers fell for the first time in 2022-23 with a 66-54 loss to Pittsburg State in the MIAA opener for both teams on Monday (Nov. 28).

Artese Stapleton led Lincoln (3-1, 0-1 MIAA) with 18 points and tallied three rebounds and an assist. Kevin Kone turned in his third double-double of the year with 11 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Franck Yetna, meanwhile, added 10 points, three boards, an assist and a team-leading three steals.

Pittsburg State (3-3, 1-0 MIAA) led for much of the first half, taking a 25-17 advantage with 5:40 until halftime. Stapleton made a jumper, and Sam Rautins cut the deficit down to three with a trey off a dish from Arash Yaqubi. Rautins, who finished with eight points, two steals and three rebounds, drained another three to knot the score at 25 entering the final three minutes of the half. Emmette Page gave LU a brief lead on a fast break layup, but Pittsburg State hit the equalizer to make it a 29-29 game at the break.

The game would end up being tied seven more times in the seconds, including at the 7:36 mark when both teams had 54 points. That tie came on a layup by Yetna, but that ended up being the last time LU scored in the contest. The Gorillas held Lincoln to .393 shooting in the second half and allowed LU to make just four shots from the three-point line in the ballgame. LU forced 14 turnovers, but was out-rebounded, 40-31.

Page had four points and two assists, Yaqubi added three points and three assists, and DJ Richardson added two steals and an assist. Jamar Madge, Jr. grabbed three rebounds while Tyson Robinson finished with one.

Lincoln will return to Jason Gym on Thursday evening (Dec. 1) to host Newman in a 7:30 p.m. CST contest.