Complete Game Notes
Game #27: Lincoln (6-20, 4-16 MIAA) at Northeastern State (6-18, 3-17 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
Time: 5:30 p.m. CST
Site: Tahlequah, Okla.
Live Stats: https://goriverhawksgo.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #28: Lincoln at Rogers State (4-22, 2-18 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Time: 1:30 p.m. CST
Site: Claremore, Okla.
Live Stats: https://rsuhillcats.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln women's basketball team closes the 2022-23 season this week with the chance to sweep two more MIAA opponents. The Blue Tigers first play a rematch with Northeastern State on Thursday (Feb. 23) at 5:30 p.m. CST in Tahlequah, Okla. Lincoln won the first meeting, 61-57, in Jefferson City back on Jan. 14. On Saturday (Feb. 25), the Blue Tigers travel to Claremore, Okla. to close the season against Rogers State. Lincoln also beat the Hillcats in Jefferson City, 73-56, on Jan. 12. The Blue Tigers are seeking a second-straight win after beating Emporia State, 75-71, on Saturday (Feb. 18), giving Lincoln a season-sweep over the Lady Hornets. Northeastern State is currently on a four-game losing streak while Rogers State has lost 12-straight.

FAST BREAKS
- Northeastern State and Lincoln are meeting for the 13th time this week, with the RiverHawks leading the series, 7-5.

- The RiverHawks had won five-straight in the series before Lincoln's win last month. LU's last road win over NSU was a 59-57 decision on Jan. 30, 2016.

- The Blue Tigers will play Rogers State for just the fifth time on Saturday. LU and RSU have played each other every season since the Hillcats joined the MIAA in 2019, with Rogers State winning each of the first three games in the series.

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 chart is Ashlyn Alloway, who is tallying 8.9 points and 5.0 boards per game, while Niyah Jackson, who averages 2.9 assists, is scoring 8.7 ppg. Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 7.7 points, and Saniya Simmons leads Lincoln with 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per contest.

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
Washburn 75, Lincoln 58
Ashlyn Alloway led Lincoln with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but the Blue Tigers dropped a 75-58 decision to Washburn in Jason Gym on Thursday (Feb. 16). Aliyah Bello scored 13, but LU shot just .317 overall while the Ichabods were .490 from the floor and .462 from three-point range.

Lincoln 75, Emporia State 71
Ashlyn Alloway had a huge day, finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five steals to lead the Blue Tigers to a 75-71 win over Emporia State on Senior Day last Saturday (Feb. 18). Aliyah Bello added 17 points and matched Niyah Jackson, who scored nine, with five assists. Kelsey Mitchell had seven boards and AJ Bradley added eight points while Saniya Simmons dished three assists.

SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS:  Northeastern State's top scorers are Ashton Hackler (13.7 ppg., 4.3 rpg.) and Courtney Lee (11.8 ppg., 7.9 rpg.), while Jaylee Kindred, who averages 4.8 boards, is next with 9.3 points per night. Tess Talo Tomokino leads NSU with 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals, while Aubrey Brown averages 2.4 assists.

NSU HEAD COACH FALA SUIAUNOA:  An NSU alumna, Suiaunoa took over as the head coach of the RiverHawks in 2017 after serving as the head coach at Armstrong State, where she won 60 games. Suiaunoa began her coaching career as an assistant at Northeastern State, and spent two seasons as the head coach of Central Georgia. As the leader of the RiverHawks, she has won 40 games in six seasons.

SCOUTING THE HILLCATS:  Rogers State scores 55.3 points per game while allowing 67.2, and has one player averaging more than 10 points per game in Bailey Kliewer (12.0 ppg.). The leading rebounder is Trinity Jackson with 6.6 per game, and Kaya Goldsby leads RSU with 3.3 assists per contest.

RSU HEAD COACH KYLE BENT:  In his first year leading the Hillcats, Bent coached the team to a 14-14 overall record and the No. 4 seed in the Heartland Conference tournament in 2018-19. Bent spent the previous four seasons as the head coach at Martin Methodist, recording 95 wins and four berths in the NAIA tournament. As the head coach at Rogers State, Bent has a five-year record of 39-89.

GIVE AND TAKE:  Saniya Simmons leads the Blue Tigers in both assists and steals, ranking sixth in the MIAA with 49 total takeaways. Her 1.9 steals per game are the ninth-most in the league. Simmons also averages 3.2 assists, which is the 12th-best in the conference, while her 82 total assists rate 11th in the league.

GET OUT THE BROOM:  With a 75-71 win over Emporia State on Saturday, Lincoln pulled off its first season sweep over an MIAA opponent since beating Northwest Missouri twice in 2018-19. LU has a chance to get two more sweeps this week, as the Blue Tigers beat both Northeastern State and Rogers State in Jefferson City in January. The last time LU swept multiple MIAA rivals in a year was in 2014-15.

ALL IN:  Ashlyn Alloway's performance recently has been nothing less than remarkable, especially last week, when she averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game with a 28-point day in the win over Emporia State. Alloway has moved into second on Lincoln's scoring chart this year with 8.9 points per game, and she is also second on the rebounding chart with 5.0 per night.

KELSEY FOR THREE:  Kelsey Mitchell has made 47 three-point attempts this season, the ninth-most by anyone in the MIAA. Her 137 attempts rank as the ninth-most, and her 1.8 made-treys per contest rate 10th in the conference. Mitchell has started 22 of Lincoln's 26 contests and is on the court for an average of 28.5 minutes.

UNDE-NIYAH-BLE:  Niyah Jackson has stepped up her play lately, scoring at least 13 points in four of Lincoln's last seven games. That includes a 25-point performance vs. Pittsburg State and a 24-point night against Missouri Southern. She is averaging 8.7 points for the season and 2.9 assists.

THE LINE UP:  The current starting five of Aliyah Bello, Saniya Simmons, Kelsey Mitchell, Niyah Jackson and Ashlyn Alloway have started four games together to tie for LU's most used lineup of 2022-23. Lincoln has used a total of 14 starting fives, with only one other combination being used as many as four times.

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.

END ON A HIGH NOTE:  A win over RSU would be LU's first win in its last game of the regular season since 2009-10.