Complete Game Notes
Game #5: Lincoln (4-0, 0-0 MIAA) at Newman (3-2, 0-0 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Wichita, Kan.
Live Stats: https://newmanjets.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #6: Lincoln at #3 Central Oklahoma (5-0, 0-0 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Edmond, Okla.
Live Stats: https://bronchosports.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  The first two MIAA games of the season, including a showdown against one of the top teams in the country, await the Lincoln men's basketball team this week. The Blue Tigers tip off their final year as members of the MIAA on Thursday (Nov. 30) in Wichita, Kan. as LU plays Newman at 7:30 p.m. CST. On Saturday (Dec. 2), Lincoln travels to Edmond, Okla. to take on the No. 3 team in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll, Central Oklahoma, at 3:30 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers are a perfect 4-0 on the season and off to their best start since 1984-85. Newman enters the week with a 3-2 record while Central Oklahoma is perfect at 5-0.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Newman will play each other for the 14th time on Thursday, with the Jets leading the series, 8-5.

- The Blue Tigers won their last game against Newman, defeating the Jets, 59-58, in Jefferson City last season.

- On Saturday, Lincoln will play Central Oklahoma for the 15th time. The Bronchos lead the series, 10-4.

- UCO beat LU in Jefferson City, 78-63, last season. LU's last win over UCO was a 78-69 victory in the first round of the 2020 MIAA Championship.

- Lincoln is playing for its first win over a ranked team since beating No. 23 Missouri Western on Jan. 30, 2021.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Elijah Farr is averaging 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds while DJ Richardson is scoring 19.5 points per night as LU is 4-0 on the young season. Franck Yetna, with 15 points per contest, is also one of the Blue Tigers' top scorers while Sam Rautins averages 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds.

HEAD COACH JIMMY DREW:  In his second year as the head coach at Lincoln, Drew led the Blue Tigers to 17 overall wins and 13 conference victories, the latter a program record, in 2022-23. Drew came to LU following a six-year run on the staff at Division I Central Florida, where he helped UCF to a pair of 20-win seasons and a berth in the second round of the NCAA tourney.

LAST TIME OUT
Lincoln 84, Harris Stowe 68
Franck Yetna scored 25 points, Elijah Farr added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Jose Roberto Tanchyn had 10 points and nine boards as the Blue Tigers beat Harris Stowe, 84-68, in a battle of Missouri's two HBCUs on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Lincoln shot .545 overall and held HSSU to .182 shooting from long distance as LU won in its first true road game of 2023-24.

Lincoln 109, Spurgeon 77
Lincoln exploded for 60 second-half points as the Blue Tigers won their home opener, 109-77, over Spurgeon on Thursday, Nov. 16. Jose Roberto Tanchyn led LU with 19 points and 13 rebounds, Elijah Farr provided 18 points and 12 boards, DJ Richardson contributed 14 points, Jamar Madge, Jr. scored 17 and Franck Yetna added 11 points.

SCOUTING THE JETS:  Four Newman players average at least 10 points, led by Stevie Strong's 17.0 average. Sam Somerhalder leads Newman with 7.8 rebounds per game and averages 12.0 points, and Stevie Smith is tallying 11.2 points while Latik Murphy averages 10.6 points. Just on the outside of the double-digit club is Kaeson Fisher-Brown with 9.0 ppg.

NU HEAD COACH RJ ALLEN:  The seventh-year head coach of the Jets has more than 60 career victories, and led NU to a 20-9 season and third place in the Heartland Conference in 2018-19. That followed a 2017-18 campaign in which NU won 10 HC games, its highest total in league games since the 2012-13 season.

SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS:  Jaden Wells is leading Central Oklahoma with 21.2 points and 2.8 steals per game while Danquez Dawsey is next on the scoring chart 13.6 points per game to go with a team-high 6.2 assists per night. UCO is averaging 76.6 points while allowing opponents to score just 56.0 points per game. The Bronchos also average 10.0 steals per contest while turning the ball over 11.0 times on average.

UCO HEAD COACH BOB HOFFMAN:  The 2022 MIAA Coach of the Year after leading UCO to the regular season league championship, Hoffman is in his fifth season at Central Oklahoma. He has led UCO to 79 victories, and has over 600 wins in a career that includes an 11-year stint at Division I Mercer, where he won 209 games.

BEST IN NEARLY 40 YEARS:  Lincoln is off to a great start in 2023-24, having won each of its first four games while out-shooting every opponent. This 4-0 start is the best for Lincoln in nearly 40 years, as LU last opened a season with four wins in a row in 1984-85. The Blue Tigers began that year 7-0 en route to a 14-10 record for the season.

NATIONAL NOTABLES:  Elijah Farr leads the MIAA and is ranked 12th in NCAA Division II in rebounding (10.5), just one of the national stats in which a Blue Tiger ranks among the best in the country. Farr is also eighth nationally with 8.0 defensive rebounds per game, DJ Richardson's .958 free throw percentage rates 20th in the country, and Franck Yetna's .656 field goal percentage is the 27th-best in the nation. As a team, Lincoln ranks 23rd in DII in three-pointers per game (10.5) and fifth in three-point percentage (.442).

SHOOTING STARS:  The Blue Tigers have had hot hands in the early part of 2023-24, rating second in the MIAA and 18th nationally with a .520 shooting percentage. Lincoln is also shooting .782 at the free throw line, the second-best mark in the MIAA and the 18th-best in the Division II. From three-point range, Lincoln is shooting .442, which is the best percentage in the league and the fifth-best in DII.

STANDING TALL:  Lincoln has one of the tallest rosters in program history this season, boasting an average team height of 6-5. Only one Blue Tiger measures in under six feet, with the tallest, Jose Roberto Tanchyn, standing at 6-10. Peyton Williams is 6-9, Elijah Farr is 6-8 and three more players measure at 6-7. A total of eight players are at least 6-5.

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER:  Lincoln will be at home for most of December with five-straight games in Jason Gym that month. LU hosts Hannibal-LaGrange on Dec. 6, takes on Central Missouri on Dec. 9 and faces Missouri Southern on Dec. 16. The Blue Tigers host William Woods on Dec. 18 before playing Pittsburg State in Jason Gym on Dec. 30.

GET YOUR TICKETS:  Lincoln is partnering up with Hometown Ticketing once again to sell tickets to all of LU's basketball games online in 2023-24. For more information, or to purchase single game or regular season tickets, 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:  Lincoln hosts Hannibal-LaGrange on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at 8:00 p.m. CST in its first of five-straight home games.