Complete Game Notes
Game #27: No. 5 Lincoln (17-9) vs. No. 4 Emporia State (21-7)
Date: Friday, March 3, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Site: Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Event: 2023 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals
Tickets: Available at www.Ticketmaster.com
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers
Live Stats: https://themiaa.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Radio: 88.9 FM KJLU - www.KJLURadio.com

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team is back in the postseason, as the Blue Tigers play Emporia State on Friday (March 3) at 12:00 p.m. CST in the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals. This will be the third meeting of the season between Lincoln and Emporia State, with the Hornets winning each of the first two with a 57-48 victory in Emporia, Kan. on Jan. 5 and a 72-66 win in Jefferson City on Feb. 18. After missing the playoffs in 2021-22, Lincoln is playing in the postseason for the seventh time in the past eight years this week. It is the first tournament game in Municipal Auditorium since 2019-20 for Lincoln, which has won at least one playoff game in five of its past seven postseason appearances.

FAST BREAKS
- On Friday, Lincoln and Emporia State will meet for the 36th time. The Hornets lead the all-time series, 22-13.

- Lincoln and Emporia State last met in the postseason in 2016, when the Blue Tigers edged the Hornets, 73-71, in Jefferson City in the first round of the MIAA tourney.

- The Blue Tigers have won eight of their last 13 games against Emporia State, but the Hornets have won each of the past four meetings.

- This will be just the second neutral site game for the Blue Tigers in 2022-23. LU won the first, as Lincoln beat Concordia-St. Paul, 79-64, in Nebraska on Dec. 19.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Lincoln has three prolific scorers in Artese Stapleton (16.9 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 3.3 apg.), Sai Witt (14.1 ppg., 7.7 rpg.) and Kevin Kone (13.1 ppg.), with Kone additionally leading LU in rebounds with a 12.8 average. Lincoln is out-scoring opponents, 70.0-63.3, and out-rebounding its foes, 39.5-30.5. Franck Yetna is averaging 3.6 boards while DJ Richardson is tallying 8.3 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
Northeastern State 73, Lincoln 69
The Blue Tigers trailed by 19 at the half, but used a 30-10 run to take the lead with 10 minutes left in regulation. Northeastern State went on an 8-2 run late in the contest, however, and escaped with a 73-69 victory of Lincoln on Thursday night (Feb. 23) in Tahlequah, Okla. Artese Stapleton led LU with 23 points, Kevin Kone tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Sai Witt scored 15.

Rogers State 80, Lincoln 68
Rogers State shot .521 overall and a .636 from three-point range to beat Lincoln, 80-68, on Feb. 25 in Claremore, Okla. Lincoln, which was held to .392 shooting for the game, was led by Kevin Kone with 18 points and 16 rebounds while Sai Witt and Artese Stapleton each scored 10. Jamar Madge, Jr. finished with 16 points.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Alijah Comithier averages 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds, while the leading scorer is Owen Long with 17.8 points per night. Kaden Evans, who scores 8.0 per game, leads ESU with 2.2 assists. Atavian Butler scores 7.0 points per game, and Peyton Rogers-Schmidt averages 5.3 rebounds.

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 76-62 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.

ALL-LEAGUE:  Three Blue Tigers earned All-MIAA honors this season, including Kevin Kone, who was named to the All-MIAA second team and selected to the MIAA All-Defensive Team. Artese Stapleton was picked to the All-MIAA first team, and Sai Witt was chosen as an All-MIAA honorable mention.

FIRST HALF HEROES:  The best predictor of success for Lincon in 2022-23 has been the score at halftime, as the Blue Tigers are 13-0 when they have the lead at the break. Conversely, when LU is down at halftime, Lincoln is 4-8 on the season. Field goal percentage is another good indicator, as Lincoln is 11-0 when finishing with a higher accuracy rating than its opponents, as well as 15-6 when holding opposing teams to under .500 overall shooting.

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 14.1 points, the second-most on the team, as well as 7.7 rebounds, the second-most on the squad. His .462 shooting percentage rates 15th in the league, and he is second in the MIAA in offensive rebounding (2.7). Witt has also dished 24 assists and recorded 18 steals.

TOP OF THE GLASS:  Lincoln continues to be one of the best rebounding teams in the country, averaging 39.5 per night, the most in the MIAA and 20th-most in Division II. LU ranks sixth in DII in rebound margin (+9.0); is currently 20th in the nation in offensive rebounding average (13.0); and Lincoln is second in the MIAA in defensive boards with 26.5 per game.

THE ART OF SCORING:  Artese Stapleton enters the week as the MIAA's fourth-leading scorer with 16.9 points per game, and he has scored at least 10 points in 24 of his 25 games this season. Stapleton, who has five 20-point games, had a 27-point, 10-assist day in the victory over Calvary. He is also leading LU with 3.3 assists per night, the eighth 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 12.8 per night. He is also leading Division II in offensive rebounds per contest (4.8), while his 320 total rebounds are the third-most by a Division II player this season. Kone, who averages 13.1 points, also leads DII with 16 double-doubles.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!:  The Blue Tigers allow just 63.3 points per game, the 16th-fewest by any Division II team this season. LU ranks third in the MIAA and 45th in DII in three-point defense (.318), and Lincoln is 71st in the nation in defensive rebounding (26.5). In terms of its field goal defense, Lincoln is 75th nationally at .428.

BEST MIAA SEASON EVER:  With Lincoln's 63-49 win over Washburn last week, the Blue Tigers now have 13 MIAA victories on the season. That is the most-ever league wins (in any conference) by an LU men's basketball team, breaking the previous record of 12, set in 2020-21.

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.

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:  If Lincoln wins on Friday, it will play on Saturday (March 4) in the MIAA tournament semifinals at 12:00 p.m. CST.