Complete Game Notes
Game #23: Washburn (12-12, 9-9 MIAA) at Lincoln (16-6, 12-6 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/

Game #24: Emporia State (18-6, 12-6 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Feb. 18, 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 will try to lock up a spot in the MIAA Championship tourney this week with two league games inside Jason Gym. On Thursday (Feb. 16), the Blue Tigers host Washburn in a rematch of a game won by LU, 72-67, in Topeka, Kan. back on Jan. 7. Thursday's game, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. CST, pits Lincoln against a Washburn squad that is coming off a 66-40 loss on Tuesday (Feb. 14) to Northwest Missouri. On Saturday, the Blue Tigers take on an Emporia State team that beat LU, 57-48, in Emporia, Kan. on Jan. 5. The Hornets snapped a two-game skid with a 92-63 home win over Newman on Saturday (Feb. 11). Lincoln has five-straight home games and is 9-2 in its past 11 contests.

FAST BREAKS
- Washburn and Lincoln meet for the 39th time this week, with WU leading the all-time series, 33-5.

- Four of Lincoln's five wins over Washburn came away from home. LU's last victory over WU in Jefferson City came in December of 1957, a 93-80 decision.

- The Blue Tigers and the Hornets meet for the 35th time this week, with Emporia State leading the series, 21-13.

- Lincoln has won eight of its last 12 games against the Hornets, but Emporia State is currently on a three-game win streak against the Blue Tigers.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln has three prolific scorers in Artese Stapleton (17.5 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 3.4 apg.), Sai Witt (14.5 ppg., 7.7 rpg.) and Kevin Kone (12.9 ppg.), with Kone additionally leading LU in rebounds with a 12.9 average. Lincoln is out-scoring opponents, 70.1-62.0, and out-rebounding its foes, 40.1-30.3. Franck Yetna is averaging 3.8 boards while DJ Richardson is tallying 8.5 points per night.

HEAD COACH JIMMY DREW:  In his first year as the head coach at Lincoln, Drew came to LU following a six-year run on the staff at Division I Central Florida. Drew helped lead UCF to a pair of 20-win seasons and a berth in the second round of the NCAA tournament, and he coached three players who went on to play in the NBA.

LAST TIME OUT
Fort Hays State 59, Lincoln 57
Fort Hays State hit a buzzer-beating jumper as time expired to break a tie and beat Lincoln, 59-57, on Thursday evening (Feb. 9). DJ Richardson and Sai Witt each scored 10 points while Artese Stapleton had a double-double, notching 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Lincoln 63, Nebraska Kearney 49
Lincoln took an 11-point lead into halftime and never looked back as the Blue Tigers won a 63-49 game against Nebraska Kearney on the road on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 11). Kevin Kone pulled down 21 rebounds and scored 12 points while Sai Witt added 13 points and eight boards. Artese Stapleton supplied eight points and five assists, and Jamar Madge, Jr. came off the bench to score 10 points.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS:  Andrew Orr leads Washburn with 13.6 points per game while averaging 5.6 rebounds, and Tyler Nelson leads the team with 2.8 assists to go with 11.5 points per night. Brady Christiansen averages a team-high 7.0 rebounds, and Levi Braun is third on the team in scoring with a 9.8 average.

WU HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD:  In his sixth season leading the Ichabods, Ballard has won over 100 games and has reached the MIAA tournament championship game four times, with Washburn winning the tourney in 2021. Ballard coached on staffs at Wake Forest and Tulsa, and was the head coach at Baker for two seasons.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Reigning MIAA Player of the Week Alijah Comithier averages 14.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, and has scored over 30 in each of Emporia State's last three games. The leading scorer is Owen Long with 16.8 points per night, and Kaden Evans, who scores 7.9 per game, leads ESU with 2.4 assists. Also averaging 5.3 rebounds is Peyton Rogers-Schmidt, while Atavian Butler averages 7.1 points.

ESU HEAD COACH CRAIG DOTY:  A three-time national champion head coach, Doty is in his fifth season as the leader of the Hornets. Doty, who is 73-61 at Emporia State, won a pair of national titles at Rock Valley before winning a NAIA title at Graceland. Doty has coached ESU to five wins over nationally-ranked teams, including a 74-65 victory over No. 1 Northwest Missouri earlier this season.

SAI ANYTHING:  Since joining the lineup on Dec. 19, Sai Witt has given Lincoln a huge spark in every aspect of the game. Witt is averaging 14.5 points, the second-most on the team, as well as 7.7 rebounds, the second-most on the squad. Witt has also dished 19 assists, recorded 13 steals and blocked 10 shots while shooting .464 from the field.

TOP OF THE GLASS:  Lincoln continues to be one of the best rebounding teams in the country, averaging 40.1 per night, the most in the MIAA and 17th-most in Division II. LU ranks fifth in DII in rebound margin (+9.9); is 16th in the nation in offensive rebounding average (13.5); and Lincoln is third in the MIAA in defensive boards with 26.6 per game.

THE ART OF SCORING:  Artese Stapleton enters the week as the MIAA's third-leading scorer with 17.9 points per game, and he has scored at least 11 points in 20 of his 21 games this season. Stapleton, who has four 20-point games, had a 27-point, 10-assist day in the victory over Calvary. He is also leading LU with 3.4 assists per night, the seventh best mark in the MIAA.

LEADING THE NATION:  Kevin Kone has proven to be the country's top rebounder, as he continues to lead NCAA Division II in rebounds per game with 12.9 per night. He is also leading Division II in offensive rebounds per contest (5.0), while his 271 total rebounds are the second-most by a Division II player this season. Kone's 8.0 defensive boards per game rate fifth in the country.

HOT AT HOME:  Lincoln has won five-straight in Jason Gym, with LU's last loss in Jefferson City coming back on Jan. 2. A win on Thursday would give Lincoln a six-game home streak for the first time since winning six in a row in 2015-16. If LU wins both games this week, it will become the longest home win streak since winning eight in a row in 2000-01.

TOURNAMENT TIME:  Tickets will be on sale during both of this week's double-headers for the MIAA Championship in Kansas City from March 1-5. Single session tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for students.

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.

SENIOR DAY:  Lincoln will celebrate Senior Day prior to Saturday's contest. The Blue Tigers will also recognize the 2018 women's outdoor track & field team, that year's national champs, who will go into the MIAA Hall of Fame later this spring.

NEXT UP:  With its home schedule completed, the Blue Tigers finish the regular season with two games on the road, starting on Thursday (Feb. 23) with a 7:30 p.m. CST game at Northeastern State.