Complete Game Notes
Game #7: Hannibal-LaGrange (3-6) at Lincoln (5-1, 1-1 MIAA)
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023
Time: 8:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/

Game #8: Central Missouri (4-2, 0-2 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Dec. 9, 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:  The Lincoln men's basketball team begins a five-game homestand this week with a pair of games in Jason Gym. Up first is Hannibal-LaGrange, as LU steps away from conference play to take on the Trojans in an 8:00 p.m. CST game on Wednesday (Dec. 6). On Saturday (Dec. 9), Lincoln plays its first home MIAA game of the season, as the Blue Tigers host Central Missouri at 3:00 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers opened the season 5-0, earning their first MIAA win of the season last Thursday (Nov. 30) on the road at Newman, 83-71. On Saturday (Dec. 2), Lincoln tasted defeat for the first time this year, falling to Central Oklahoma, which entered the week ranked No. 3 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' DII poll, by a final score of 79-55. Hannibal-LaGrange, which plays in the NAIA, is 3-6 on the year while UCM is 4-2, but has lost each of its past two games.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Hannibal-LaGrange have only met twice before, with the Trojans winning both games of a home-and-home in 1999-2000.

- On Saturday, Lincoln and Central Missouri will meet for the 103rd time, with UCM leading the series, 62-40.

- Lincoln swept Central Missouri in 2022-23 and has won three-straight in the series.

- LU has won six-straight home games against UCM.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Elijah Farr is averaging 12.2 points and 10.0 rebounds while DJ Richardson is scoring 16.3 points per night as LU is 5-1 on the young season. Franck Yetna, with 12.7 points per contest, is also one of the team's top scorers while Sam Rautins averages 9.3 points and 3.0 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 83, Newman 71
Jamar Madge, Jr. poured in 22 points while Elijah Farr finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Blue Tigers opened their MIAA slate with an 83-71 road win over Newman on Thursday (Nov. 30). Sam Rautins chipped in 11 points and Franck Yetna added 10 as the Blue Tigers shot .516 from the floor .423 from thee-point range.

#3 Central Oklahoma 79, Lincoln 55
Central Oklahoma defended its No. 3 ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll on Saturday (Dec. 2) by beating the Blue Tigers, 79-55, in Edmond, Okla. Leading LU offensively were Sam Rautins (13 points), DJ Richardson (12) and Elijah Farr (10) as Lincoln shot a season-low .368 overall and .348 from three-point range.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS:  Janssen Flowtow leads Hannibal-LaGrange with 17.4 points per game and Chris Cross averages 12.4 points for a Hannibal-LaGrange team that scores 59.6 points and allows 70.3 points per contest. HLGU shoots an average field goal percentage of .392, but also allows opponents to shoot an average of .413. Malakai Munoz leads HLGU in assists (3.3).

HLGU HEAD COACH JASON DURST:  Durst is in his 19th year as the head coach of the Trojans as well as his 22nd overall. Durst led HLGU to a 19-13 record in 2019 and has coached three seven Academic All-Americans and three All-American players. He has twice received the AMC Coach of Character Award.

SCOUTING THE MULES:  Caleb Nero leads four Central Missouri players averaging double digits with 13.2 points per game. Both Jalen Knott (5.2 rpg.) and Tim Jordan, Jr. (5.0 rpg.) average 11.3 points, and Keith Kiner III is next with 10.8 ppg. Josh Nwankwo has only played one game, but scored nine points to go with six rebounds. As a team, UCM is averaging 68.8 points on .411 field goal shooting. Opponents average 63.5 points, but are also shooting .432 from the floor.

UCM HEAD COACH ADAM BOHAC:  The first-year head coach of the Mules is no stranger to Division II basketball, as Bohac spent 15 years as the head coach at Southern Nazarene. In that span, Bohac compiled a 312-146 record and led the program to four appearances in the NCAA tournament. Bohac, who led SNU to four GAC regular season titles and two GAC tournament championships, is 4-2 with Central Missouri.

BEST IN NEARLY 40 YEARS:  Lincoln enjoyed a great start to 2023-24, winning each of its first five games while out-shooting every opponent. This 5-0 start was 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.

FARR OUT:  Elijah Farr leads the MIAA and is ranked 14th in NCAA Division II in rebounding (10.2), just one of the ways he has been a do-it-all player for the Blue Tigers. Farr ranks fourth in the country in defensive rebounding (8.2) and 18th in double-doubles. He additionally is sixth in the MIAA in blocks per game (1.4) and 17th in assists (3.0) while averaging 12.2 points.

SHOOTING STARS:  The Blue Tigers have had hot hands in the early part of 2023-24, leading the MIAA while also rating fourth in Division II in three-point percentage (.436). LU is shooting .485 from the field, the fourth-best mark in the conference and 55th in the nation. From the free throw line, Lincoln is shooting .750, a percentage that ranks sixth in the MIAA and 65th nationally.

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 Missouri Southern next Saturday (Dec. 16) in Jason Gym in a 3:00 p.m. CST contest.