Complete Game Notes | Game Day Policies
Game #8: #3 Central Missouri (7-0, 2-0 MIAA) at Lincoln (4-3, 1-1 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jason Gym (1,538) in Jefferson City, Mo.
Tickets: https://www.lubluetigers.com/tickets
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln women's basketball team plays its second ranked opponent of the season this week as the Blue Tigers host Central Missouri on Saturday (Dec. 9) at 1:00 p.m. CST. The Jennies enter the weekend 7-0 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play, and are ranked No. 3 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Associations' DII poll. Lincoln, which is 1-0 at home this season, owns a 4-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in conference play after a split last week. The Blue Tigers opened their MIAA slate with a 70-67 road victory at Newman on Thursday (Nov. 3), but dropped a hard-fought battle at Central Oklahoma, 71-64, on Saturday (Dec. 2). This is the first game of a four-contest homestand for the Blue Tigers, who play all of their remaining games in 2023 inside the friendly confines of Jason Gym.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Central Missouri will meet for the 68th time on Saturday, with the Jennies leading the all-time series, 64-3.

- Lincoln's last two wins vs. Central Missouri both came in Warrensburg, as LU won, 82-76, in 2015-16, and 57-53 in 2011-12.

- A win would give Lincoln a 2-0 start to its home slate for the first time since 2018-19, when the Blue Tigers won each of their first four games inside Jason Gym as part of a 7-0 start to the season.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Leading the Blue Tigers in both scoring (16.4) and rebounding (8.3) is Ashlyn Alloway, who also has 10 steals and eight blocks. Steph Torres averages 12.3 points as well as a team-high 3.3 assists while AJ Bradley is next on the scoring chart with 7.1 ppg. Imani Jones and Tatiana Beaumont each average 6.7 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 70, Newman 67
Lincoln forced 19 turnovers and held off a fourth quarter rally by Newman to win its MIAA opener in Wichita, Kan. on Thursday (Nov. 30). Ashlyn Alloway led LU with 16 points and eight boards while AJ Bradley supplied 10 points and three steals. Steph Torres and Biance Stocks each scored nine points.

Central Oklahoma 71, Lincoln 64
Both teams shot .407 from the field, but Lincoln turned the ball over 25 times as the Bronchos won in Edmond, Okla. on Saturday (Dec. 2). Ashlyn Alloway doubled up, tallying 16 points as well as 12 boards, and AJ Bradley scored 11 points while Steph Torres and Imani Jones each had nine.

SCOUTING THE JENNIES:  Brooke Littrell leads the MIAA with 20.0 points per game and is fourth in the conference in rebounding with 9.9 per night. Olivia Nelson averages 15.4 points, Ashley Tull is next with 10.1 points per game and Lauren Frost averages 3.7 assists, second on the team behind Nelson's 4.4 average. Graycen Holden averages 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds.

UCM HEAD COACH DAVE SLIFER:  Entering the weekend, Slifer has over 400 victories with the Jennies, the most of any coach in the history of the UCM program, and more than 700 wins in his career. Slifer, who was selected as the WBCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2013, has led the Jennies to 12 seasons with 20 or more wins and the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.

TOP-THREE: AJ Bradley has excelled at getting to the line, as, in four years at Lincoln, she has attempted 383 free throws. Bradley has made 260 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 39 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 14th in NCAA Division II with an average of 24.1 attempts per contest. LU is second in the MIAA in free throw attempts as well as fifth in makes, with the Blue Tigers ranking 47th nationally with 15.6 successful tries per game. Individually, AJ Bradley is fifth this season in the MIAA in free throw attempts (42) and 13th in makes (21).

OTHER NATIONAL NOTABLES: Lincoln ranks 61st in the country in scoring offense with 72.6 points per game. LU is also 76th in three-point shots made per game (7.0) and 82nd in steals per game (9.9). The Blue Tigers also have Division II's 79th-best field goal percentage (.425).

RANKS OF HISTORY : On Saturday, Lincoln will try to beat a Central Missouri team that is rated No. 3 in the nation. If LU is successful, it will be the Blue Tigers' first victory over a team ranked in the national Top-25 since 2011-12, when Lincoln defeated No. 12 Pittsburg State, 83-77, in the MIAA tournament quarterfinals.

TORR DE FORCE:  Steph Torres, who leads Lincoln with 3.3 assists per game, has emerged as LU's second-leading scorer with 12.3 points per night. Her play has helped LU post the 61st-best offensive attack in Division II, as the Blue Tigers average 72.4 points as a team. Torres has the MIAA's 12th-best assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.3) and her 32.2 minutes per game are third-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 16.4 points as well as 8.3 rebounds, both of which are team highs. Alloway is also making her presence on the court felt with 10 steals, nine assists and eight blocks, and she is shooting .527 from the field.

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER:  Lincoln will get to enjoy a lot of home cooking in December, as four of LU's five games this month will be played in the friendly confines of Jason Gym. The Blue Tigers, who had just one home game last month, opened December at Central Oklahoma before playing four-straight games in Jefferson City.

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:  Lincoln continues MIAA play with a home game vs. Missouri Southern on Saturday (Dec. 16) at 1:00 p.m. CST.