Complete Game Notes
Game #13: Rogers State (9-6, 5-4 MIAA) at Lincoln (8-4, 4-4 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/

Game #14: Northeastern State (8-5, 5-4 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/

THE TIP OFF:  After splitting two games in Kansas last week, the Lincoln men's basketball team plays a pair of games in Jason Gym this week against teams from the state of Oklahoma. On Thursday night (Jan. 12), Lincoln plays Rogers State at 7:30 p.m. CST. The Hillcats are 9-6 but have lost three of their last five games. On Saturday (Jan. 14), the Blue Tigers host Northeastern State at 3:00 p.m. CST. The RiverHawks enter the week 8-5 overall, but 2-2 on the road. Lincoln is currently 8-4 on the year after dropping a 57-48 decision to Emporia State on Jan. 5 and defeating Washburn, 72-67, on Jan. 7.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Rogers State have met in each of the past three seasons, with the Hillcats winning each meeting. Last season, RSU beat LU, 72-51, in Claremore, Okla.

- Before the Hillcats joined the MIAA in 2019-20, Lincoln and Rogers State had never met in men's basketball. RSU leads the all-time series, 3-0.

- On Saturday, Lincoln and Northeastern State will meet for the 14th time, with the RiverHawks leading the all-time series, 8-5.

- Northeastern State beat Lincoln, 59-50, in Tahlequah, Okla. last season. The last time the two programs met in Jefferson City, the Blue Tigers won, 91-76, during the 2020-21 season.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln has three prolific scorers in Artese Stapleton (18.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 3.3 apg.), Sai Witt (13.0 ppg., 8.6 rpg.) and Kevin Kone (14.5 ppg.), with Kone additionally leading LU in rebounds with a 13.4 average. Lincoln is out-scoring opponents, 72.2-61.6, and out-rebounding its foes, 42.1-31.8. Franck Yetna is averaging 5.1 boards while Sam Rautins is tallying 6.6 points per night.

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 went on to play in the NBA.

LAST TIME OUT
#20 Emporia State 57, Lincoln 48
Emporia State, ranked No. 20 in the NABC DII poll, held Lincoln to .304 shooting from the floor en route to a 57-48 win in a defensive tussle on Jan. 5. Sai Witt scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Kevin Kone collected 10 boards to go with six points. Sam Rautins had 15 points.

Lincoln 72, Washburn 67
The Blue Tigers dominated the first half and held off a second half rally to beat Washburn on the road, 72-67, on Saturday (Jan. 7). Five Blue Tigers scored at least 10 points, led by DJ Richardson with 17. Sai Witt (15 points) and Franck Yetna (13 points) each had eight rebounds, and both Sam Rautins and Artese Stapleton each scored 11, with Stapleton also dishing four assists.

SCOUTING THE HILLCATS:  Kofi Hamilton leads Rogers State with 7.0 rebounds per game and averages 7.5 points, while Sherwyn Devonish-Prince, Jr. averages a team-leading 4.2 assists per night to go with 9.9 points. The top scorers are Joey Saracco (14.9 ppg.) and Chris Whitaker (13.6 ppg.), and Ugo Obineke is next with a 7.7 average.

RSU HEAD COACH JUSTIN BARKLEY:  The third head coach in Rogers State history, Barkley is now in his 13th year leading the team and has led the program to at least 16 wins in 11 of his first 12 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 been strong offensively, averaging 78.4 points per game, but holds just a 32.3-31.6 edge in rebounding. Christian Cook leads NSU with 16.9 points per game, and Dillon Bailey and Rashad Perkins each average a team-high 4.5 rebounds while respectively scoring 14.2 and 13.9 points per contest. As a team, NSU is shooting .510 from the floor and .423 from three-poiint range.

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 three seasons at NSU, Havens led the team to a 29-36 record.

SAI ANYTHING:  Since joining the lineup on Dec. 19, Sai Witt has given Lincoln a huge spark in every asset of the game. Witt is averaging 13.0 points, the third-most on the team, as well as 8.6 rebounds, the second-most on the squad. Witt has also dished seven assists, recorded four steals and blocked a pair of shots while shooting .500 from three-point land.

DEFEATING DIVISION I:  Lincoln's exhibition win over Missouri-Kansas City 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.

DEFENDING DIVISION II:  The Blue Tigers boast one of the top defenses in NCAA Division II, ranking 13th out of 290 teams with just 61.6 points allowed per game. That has helped LU post a scoring margin of +10.6 that ranks 44th in the country. A big part of LU's success has been on the glass, as Lincoln is ninth nationally in rebounds per game (42.1) and sixth in rebound margin (+10.2). Meanwhile, LU's .396 field goal defense is 18th in Division II.

KING OF THE GLASS:  Kevin Kone is currently leading the nation in rebounding, as his 13.4 average is the highest in NCAA Division II. Kone, who had a 22-board night vs. Newman, leads DII in offensive rebounding (5.3) and is seventh nationally in defensive rebounding (8.1). His 147 total rebounds this year are the 10th-most in Division II.

THE ART OF SCORING:  Artese Stapleton enters the week as the MIAA's second-leading scorer with 18.5 points per game, and he has scored at least 11 points in every game he's played. Stapleton, who has three 20-point games, had a 27-point, 10-assist day in the victory over Calvary. His scoring average is also the 59th-best in NCAA Division II this season.

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 tip off a three-game road trip next Thursday (Jan. 19) in St. Joseph, Mo. by playing Missouri Western at 7:30 p.m. CT.