Complete Game Notes
Game #21: #24 Missouri Southern (19-4, 11-4 MIAA) at Lincoln (5-15, 3-10 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 2, 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

Game # 22: Pittsburg State (17-4, 12-3 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Feb. 4, 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

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln women's basketball team takes on another nationally-ranked opponent this week, as the Blue Tigers host Missouri Southern on Thursday (Feb. 2) at 5:30 p.m. CST. MSSU, which is ranked No. 24 in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II poll, is the second-consecutive ranked team that Lincoln will host, as the Blue Tigers dropped an 82-49 decision to No. 7 Central Missouri on Saturday (Jan. 28). On Saturday (Feb. 4), Lincoln will host Pittsburg State in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer/Think Pink Game at 1:00 p.m. CST. Both games are rematches, with Lincoln falling to Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo., 84-45, back on Jan. 23, and dropping a 78-54 decision in Pittsburg, Kan. to Pittsburg State on Nov. 28.

FAST BREAKS
- On Thursday, Lincoln and Missouri Southern will meet for the 41st time. The Lions lead the all-time series, 37-3.

- Lincoln 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 Saturday, LU plays Pittsburg State for the 42nd time. The Gorillas lead the series, 40-1.

- LU's win over PSU came at the 2012 MIAA tourney, as Lincoln beat No. 12 Pittsburg State, 83-77 in Kansas City.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln is led by Le'Yanna McGinnis, who is averaging 12.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. Next on the scoring list is Kelsey Mitchell, who is shooting .377 from the three-point range while averaging 8.1 points. Saniya Simmons (3.2 assists per game) and Niyah Jackson (2.7 apg.) are leading Lincoln in assists, & Ashlyn Alloway averages 7.1 points.

HEAD COACH ANDREA MIZE:  Andrea Mize is in her third 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 shot .400 from the field and outscored Central Missouri, 15-9, during the second quarter, but the Jennies, ranked No. 7 in the country in the WBCA Division II poll, rallied in the second half to beat LU, 82-49, on Saturday (Jan. 28) in Jefferson City. Niyah Jackson led Lincoln with 15 points and had two steals while Saniya Simmons finished with nine points and a pair of assists. Aliyah Bello, meanwhile, scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and had three steals.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:  Lacy Stokes is one of the MIAA's top overall players, averaging 16.3 points, 5.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per night. Kryslyn Jones averages 10.3 points while Madi Stokes leads MSSU with 8.4 rebounds per game and averages 8.9 points. Amaya Johns (9.0 ppg.) and Layne Skiles (8.1 ppg.) are Missouri Southern's other leading scorers.

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 94 games as the head coach. Last year, the Lions won the MIAA regular season championship.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS:  Three Pittsburg State players average double digit points, led by Tristan Gegg, who is scoring 15.7 points per night. Karenna Gerber, who averages a team-high 7.6 rebounds, is tallying 14.8 points while Grace Pyle is next with 14.4 points per game. Both Pyle and Harper Schreiner, who averages 9.0 points, are pulling down 6.6 boards per game whil Erin Davis and Sydney Holmes each score 7.3 points 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 five years, she has led PSU to 85 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.

YOU AGAIN...:  Beginning last weekend, Lincoln will play nine-straight rematches to conclude the regular season. Central Missouri, who beat LU, 80-58, in December, was the first rematch of the season for Lincoln, which will also take on, for a second time, Missouri Southern, Pittsburg State, Fort Hays State, Nebraska Kearney, Washburn, Emporia State, Northeastern State and Rogers State in February.

IT'S A STEAL:  Saniya Simmons, who is 12th in the MIAA in total assists with 64, has been an even better thief, as she leads Lincoln with 42 steals this season. That total ranks seventh in the MIAA, and that averages to 2.1 per night, the sixth-best average in the league. On the national level, Simmons is 108th in DII in steals per game and 89th in total steals.

MCGINNIS - BRILLIANT!:  Le'Yanna McGinnis is shooting .513 from the field and averaging 12.9 points per game, the most among the Blue Tigers. McGinnis, who is 14th in the MIAA in scoring, has made 99 field goals in 2022-23, with ranks as the 13th-most in the conference.

UP THE BLOCK:  Beyond being LU's offensive leader, Le'Yanna McGinnis has also been an asset on defense, as she is averaging 6.0 rebounds per night, including 3.3 on the defensive side. McGinnis also has blocked 22 shots, the eighth-most by any MIAA player in 2022-23. Her 1.11 blocks per game averages is ninth in the league.

DOUBLE DIGITS:  Kelsey Mitchell has scored at least 10 points in each of Lincoln's last three wins. Mitchell, who scored 17 in the road win over Emporia State, chipped in 11 vs. Rogers State and 10 against Northeastern State. On the season, Mitchell, who has eight performances with at least 10 points in 2022-23, can credit her success to her ability to shoot the ball; Mitchell is currently fourth in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage (.377).

TOP-FIVE:  AJ Bradley has excelled at getting to the line, as, in three years at Lincoln, she has attempted 302 free throws. Bradley has made 206 of those attempts and has moved into fifth place all-time in program history in total career made free throws. She passed Hunter Yoakum (2013-17), who made 197, and is 39 away from passing Shara Tauai (244, 2001-04) for fourth all-time.

TURN IT OVER:  Lincoln has forced 15.5 turnovers per game, the eighth-most by an MIAA team this season. LU is eighth in the league in steals per game (8.0), and the Blue Tigers have created 301 total turnovers.

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 travel to Hays, Kan. next Thursday (Feb. 9) to play Fort Hays State at 5:30 p.m. CST.