Complete Game Notes | Game Day Policy
Game #9: Missouri Southern (6-4, 3-2 MIAA) at Lincoln (4-4, 1-2 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #10: Pittsburg State (8-1, 3-1 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Monday, Dec. 18, 2023
Time: 5:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln women's basketball team continues a four-game homestand with a pair of contests in Jason Gym over the next three days. Up first the Blue Tigers take on a Missouri Southern team that is 6-4 on the season and 3-2 in MIAA play, but just defeated the No. 3 team in the country, Central Missouri, on the road on Thursday (Dec. 14). Lincoln and Missouri Southern meet on Saturday (Dec. 16), with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CST. On Monday (Dec. 18), LU plays Pittsburg State at 5:30 p.m. CST in an unusual double-header, as the Lincoln men play a non-conference team, William Woods, immediately after the Blue Tiger women's MIAA game. Pittsburg State is 8-1 on the year and 3-1 in the league while Lincoln is 4-4 overall and 1-2 in MIAA play.

FAST BREAKS
- On Saturday, Lincoln and Missouri Southern will meet for the 42nd time with MSSU leading the series, 38-3.

- LU is playing for its first victory over Missouri Southern since 2011-12, when LU swept the season series with a 67-66 victory on the road and a 66-61 win in Jason Gym.

- On Monday, Lincoln plays Pittsburg State for the 43rd time. The Gorillas lead the series, 40-1.

- Lincoln's win over PSU came in the quarterfinals of the 2012 MIAA tourney, as the Blue Tigers beat then-ranked No. 12 Pittsburg State, 83-77 in Kansas City.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Leading the Blue Tigers in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (8.4) is Ashlyn Alloway, who also has 13 steals and 10 blocks. Steph Torres averages 12.8 points as well as a team-high 2.9 assists while AJ Bradley is next on the scoring chart with 6.9 ppg. Imani Jones and Tatiana Beaumont each average 5.9 points, and Saniya Simmons is averaging 6.8 points as well as 2.8 assists.

HEAD COACH ANDREA MIZE:  Andrea Mize is in her fourth year as the head coach at Lincoln after a successful two-year run at Central Florida College. In 2019-20, Mize led CFC to a 19-win year that included a victory in the first round of the FCSAA playoffs. Mize previously was an assistant at Martin Methodist, helping the program reach the NAIA national tournament three times.

LAST TIME OUT:  Lincoln played the No. 3 team in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Division II poll, Central Missouri, tough in the first quarter, trailing just 11-8 through 10 minutes, but UCM ended up beating LU, 66-46, last Saturday (Dec. 9). Ashlyn Alloway led LU with 17 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Steph Torres chipped in 16 points while Biance Stocks added four points, five boards and two steals.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:  Missouri Southern has four players averaging over 10 points per night, with Ryan Franklin averaging a team-high 6.9 rebounds as well as 11.5 points. Kryslyn Jones is leading the team with 12.6 points per contest and Kaitlin Hunnicutt averages 12.3 points. Brandi Hudson scores 11.9 points per game while Mia Topping leads MSSU with 2.8 assists.

MSSU HEAD COACH RONNIE RESSEL:  An alum of MSSU, Ressel was promoted to head coach in 2016 after spending the previous three years as an assistant with the program. Ressel helped the Lions average 19 wins as an assistant and has won 113 games as the head coach. In 2022, the Lions won the MIAA regular season championship.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS:  Grace Pyle, the reigning NCAA Division II Player of the Week, averages 20.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Karenna Gerber is next in both the scoring (15.7) and rebounding (7.0) charts while Macie Mays is tallying 10.5 points per night. Harper Schreiner, meanwhile, is leading Pittsburg State with 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest.

PSU HEAD COACH AMANDA DAVIED:  After serving as an assistant coach with the Gorillas for 14 seasons, Davied was promoted to head coach beginning with the 2018-19 season. In six years, she has led PSU to 100 victories. As an assistant, Davied helped Pittsburg State go 283-160 with five trips to the NCAA Division II tournament and the 2017 MIAA regular season title.

TOP-THREE: AJ Bradley has excelled at getting to the line, as, in four years at Lincoln, she has attempted 387 free throws. Bradley has made 262 of those attempts and has moved into third place all-time in program history in total career made free throws. She passed Sheila Lee, who made 257 free throws between 2001-04. Bradley is now 37 free throws away from second place, held by Andrea Sykes, who made 298 shots at the line from 1995-99.

THEY'RE FREE: As a team, Lincoln is finding ways to get to the free throw line, as LU ranks 16th in NCAA Division II with an average of 23.4 attempts per contest. LU is first in the MIAA in free throw attempts as well as fifth in makes, with the Blue Tigers ranking 45th nationally with 15.3 successful tries per game. AJ Bradley is sixth this season in the MIAA in free throw attempts (46).

TAKE IT AWAY: Lincoln enters the weekend with the MIAA's fourth-most average of turnovers forced (18.0), with the Blue Tigers also ranking fifth in the league in steals (9.8), with LU rating 88th in Division II in the latter stat. AJ Bradley is ninth in the MIAA in steals per game (1.9) and 15 total takeaways.

TORR DE FORCE:  Steph Torres, who leads Lincoln with 2.9 assists per game, has emerged as LU's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points per night. Her play has helped LU post the 98th-best offensive attack in Division II, as the Blue Tigers average 69.2 points as a team. Torres has the MIAA's 12th-most assists and her 32.9 minutes per game are second-most in the league.

ALL-COURT ALLOWAY:  Ashlyn Alloway leads the Blue Tigers on both sides of the court, emerging as LU's best player on both offense and defense. Alloway averages 16.5 points as well as 8.4 rebounds, both of which are team highs. Alloway is also making her presence on the court felt with 13 steals, nine assists and 10 blocks, and she is shooting .540 from the field.

ALL RIGHT NOW:  Beyond being one of the MIAA's top players, Ashlyn Alloway ranks high in NCAA Division II in multiple statistics. Alloway's three double-doubles are the 46th-most in the country while her .540 shooting rate is 47th. Alloway is additionally 78th in points per game and 79th in rebounds per game.

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 13 Lincoln home games will be broadcast through a 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 close their non-league slate on Dec. 30 by hosting Evangel at 1:00 p.m. CST.