Complete Game Notes
Game #23: Lincoln (5-17, 3-12 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (18-7, 13-4 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
Time: 5:30 p.m. CST
Site: Hays, Kan.
Live Stats: https://fhsuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #24: Lincoln at No. 11 Nebraska Kearney (22-3, 15-2 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m. CST
Site: Kearney, Neb.
Live Stats: https://lopers.com/sidearmstats/wbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  It's back to the road for the Blue Tigers, as the Lincoln women's basketball team plays a pair of road MIAA games this week. Up first is Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan., as LU takes on FHSU on Thursday (Feb. 9) at 5:30 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers then travel to Kearney, Neb. to face Nebraska Kearney on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 2:00 p.m. CST. Lincoln dropped two MIAA games last week and will try to get back in the win column as LU continues to fight for one of the spots in the conference tournament. Fort Hays State is 18-7 on the season, but has lost three of its last four home games. The Lopers, meanwhile, are ranked No. 11 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II poll, with UNK owning a 22-3 overall record.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Fort Hays State will meet for the 20th time on Thursday, with FHSU leading the series, 18-1.

- The Blue Tigers' win over Fort Hays State came on the road in 2011-12, with Lincoln winning in overtime, 76-75.

- Lincoln will play Nebraska Kearney for the 15th time on Saturday, with the Lopers leading the all-time series, 13-1.

- The Blue Tigers beat Nebraska Kearney during the 2014-15 season inside Jason Gym, 90-68. The Lopers have won each other meeting in 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 Niyah Jackson, who averages 8.5 points and 2.8 assists. Kelsey Mitchell scores 8.0 points while shooting .371 from long distance, and Saniya Simmons is tallying a team-high 3.3 assists per contest. Ashlyn Alloway, meanwhile, scores 7.5 points and grabs 4.3 boards per night.

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
Missouri Southern 67, Lincoln 58
Missouri Southern entered the day ranked No. 24 in the country, but Lincoln gave the Lions all they could handle before falling, 67-58, last Thursday (Feb. 2). LU trailed by just four at halftime and forced MSSU into 19 turnovers. Niyah Jackson had 24 points, Ashlyn Alloway finished with eight points and eight rebounds, and Saniya Simmons scored eight points to go with six assists.

Pittsburg State 86, Lincoln 78
Lincoln led 25-19 after the first quarter, but a big second period helped Pittsburg State get past the Blue Tigers, 86-78, on Saturday (Feb. 4). Lincoln was led offensively by Niyah Jackson with 25 points, AJ Bradley with 16 and Ashlyn Alloway with 14. Alloway also had eight rebounds.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:  Katie Wagner (14.1 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and Olivia Hollenbeck (12.9 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) lead a Fort Hays State team outscores its opponents by an average of 69-58 per contest. The assist-leader is Sydney Golladay with 4.1 per game while Jessie Sallach (6.1 ppg.) and Emma Ruddle (6.0 ppg.) are the other top scorers.

FHSU HEAD COACH TONY HOBSON:  One of the most successful collegiate coaches in the country, Hobson has a career winning percentage of .768, that ranks him among the top-12 of all active coaches in NCAA Division II. FHSU has appeared in the Top-25 in nine of the past 10 years and has made each of the past 12 MIAA tournaments, winning the tournament in both  2019 and 2022.

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.

UNK HEAD COACH CARRIE EIGHMEY:  In her eighth season at Nebraska Kearney, Eighmey has led the Lopers to 160 wins, including the MIAA tournament championship in 2020-21. UNK made the NCAA Division II Sweet-16 that season. Before she joined the Lopers, she coached her alma mater, Hastings, to two trips to the NAIA Division II tournament.

GIVE AND TAKE:  Saniya Simmons leads the Blue Tigers in both assists and steals, ranking sixth in the MIAA with 44 total takeaways. Her 2.0 steals per game are the seventh-most in the league. Simmons also averages 3.3 assists, which is the 11th-best in the conference, while her 72 total assists rate 10th in the league. Simmons is LU"s leader in both categories this season.

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. She's been one of LU's best shooters, as her percentage of .371 from three-point range ranks as the fourth-best in the MIAA this year.

UNDE-NIYAH-BLE:  Niyah Jackson had one of her best weeks as a Blue Tiger last week, as she led Lincoln with an average of 24.5 points per game against both Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. Against the No. 24 Lions, she scored 24 and grabbed six rebounds. Vs. the Gorillas, Jackson scored 25 and dished four assists. Those were the first two 20-points games of the year for Jackson, who is averaging 8.5 points per contest.

TURN IT OVER:  Lincoln has forced 15.6 turnovers per game, the seventh-most by an MIAA team this season. LU is also seventh in the league in steals per game (8.0), and the Blue Tigers have created 343 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:  Lincoln returns to Jefferson City to host Washburn next Thursday (Feb. 16) at 5:30 p.m. CST.