Complete Game Notes
Game #16: Lincoln (10-5, 5-4 MIAA) at Rogers State (8-7, 5-4 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Claremore, Okla.
Live Stats: https://rsuhillcats.com/sidearmstats/mbball/
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #17: Lincoln at Northeastern State (6-9, 1-8 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Tahlequah, Okla.
Live Stats: https://goriverhawksgo.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  A trip to Oklahoma awaits the Lincoln men's basketball team this week as the Blue Tigers play a pair of MIAA opponents in the Sooner State. Up first is a trip to Claremore, Okla. on Thursday night (Jan. 18) to play Rogers State, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST. On Saturday (Jan. 20), LU heads to Tahlequah, Okla. to play Northeastern State at 3:30 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers split a pair of home games last week, beating Emporia State on Thursday (Jan. 11), 71-63, before being edged by Washburn, 70-69, on a late free throw this past Saturday (Jan. 13). In its past four games, Rogers State is 2-2, with the two losses both coming at home. NSU just snapped a three-game skid with a road win on Saturday.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Rogers State will meet for the fifth time on Thursday, with RSU leading the series, 4-1.

- LU and RSU split the season series last year, with the Blue Tigers winning in Jefferson City, 76-74, and Rogers State winning in Claremore, 80-68.

- On Saturday, Lincoln and Northeastern State will meet for the 16th time, with the RiverHawks leading the all-time series, 9-6.

- The Blue Tigers also split with the RiverHawks last year. Lincoln won the meeting in Jefferson City, 76-68, but Northeastern State won the rematch, 73-69.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Elijah Farr is averaging 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while DJ Richardson is scoring 16.6 points per night and 3.1 assists. Franck Yetna, with 12.7 points per contest, is also one of the team's top scorers while Jamar Madge, Jr. averages 7.9 points and Jose Roberto Tanchyn averages 7.3.

HEAD COACH JIMMY DREW:  In his second year as the head coach at Lincoln, Drew led the Blue Tigers to 17 overall wins and 13 conference victories, the latter a program record, in 2022-23. Drew came to LU following a six-year run on the staff at Division I Central Florida, where he helped UCF to a pair of 20-win seasons and a berth in the second round of the NCAA tourney.

LAST TIME OUT
Lincoln 71, Emporia State 63
DJ Richardson poured in 29 points, Franck Yetna had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Lincoln shot .700 as a team in the second half en route to a 71-63 victory over Emporia State on Thursday (Jan. 11) in Jason Gym. Lincoln shot 9-for-13 from three-point range (.692), with Sam Rautins, who made three of those treys, finishing with 11 total points.

Washburn 70, Lincoln 69
Lincoln led for nearly the entire game, but a 15-2 run over the last five minutes helped Washburn win on Saturday (Jan. 13) in Jefferson City, 70-69. A late steal and layup allowed LU to tie the game in the final seconds, but the Ichabods were fouled with 1.4 seconds remaining. WU missed the first free throw but made the second to win the game. Elijah Farr led LU with 16 points.

SCOUTING THE HILLCATS:  Four Rogers State players are scoring in double figures, led by Isaac Johnson's 15.1 average. Rodney Battle averages 14.8 points while Kofi Hamilton is scoring 11.3 points and grabbing a team-high 5.3 rebounds. Anthony Marshall, Jr. averages 10.0 points for an RSU team that averages 78 points per contest.

RSU HEAD COACH JUSTIN BARKLEY:  The third head coach in Rogers State history, Barkley is now in his 14th year leading the team and has led the program to at least 16 wins in 11 of his first 13 seasons. Barkley, who won a national title as a player at Northeastern State, has directed the Hillcats through transitions from the NAIA into NCAA DII and now into the MIAA.

SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS:  Northeastern State plays teams close, averaging 70.1 points while allowing 71.7 points per night. Anthony Allen leads NSU with 14.9 points per game while also averaging 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Trey Quartlebaum also averages 2.2 assists and scores 11.9 points per night while Jaxon Jones averages 10.1 points and 5.7 assists.

NSU HEAD COACH JA HAVENS:  After winning three GAC championships in seven seasons at East Central, Ja Havens came home to his alma mater to serve as the head coach of the RiverHawks in 2020-21. Havens won 131 games at East Central and had a winning record every season. In his four seasons at NSU, Havens led the team to a 39-55 record.

FARR OUT:  Elijah Farr is fourth in the MIAA and ranked 88th in Division II in rebounding (7.4), just one of the ways he has been a do-it-all player for the Blue Tigers. Farr ranks 67th in the country in defensive rebounding (5.7) and 21st in double-doubles (five). He additionally is sixth in the MIAA in blocks (18) and has 12 steals while averaging 12.4 points and 2.6 assists.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NUMBERS:  Lincoln is sharp at the line, shooting .810, NCAA Division II's second-best free throw percentage. The Blue Tiger defense is 34th in DII, as opponents score just 67.3 points per contest. Lincoln's field goal percentage (.469) is the country's 83rd-best while Lincoln's three-point percentage (.385) rates 32nd. The Blue Tigers lead the MIAA with 8.8 three-pointers per game, 75th-most in DII.

PLAY IT, DJ:  DJ Richardson, who has the nation's 30th-best free throw percentage of .891, is leading Lincoln while rating sixth in the MIAA with 16.6 points per game. He is leading Lincoln with 3.1 assists per game, averages 2.9 boards and is shooting .473 overall, with that percentage ranking 11th in the MIAA. His 49 made three throws are also the 10th-most by an MIAA player this season.

OFF THE BOARD:  There are two stats that seem to play a role as to whether or not LU wins this season. The first is rebounding, as Lincoln is 7-0 when out-gaining opponents on the glass and 2-0 when equaling rebounds. When the other team wins the rebound battle, Lincoln is 1-5.

SHOOT AROUND:  The other predictive stat is shooting percentage, as Lincoln is 9-2 when tallying a better field goal percentage than its opponents. When the opponent has the better shooting night, the Blue Tigers are 1-3. When LU makes at least 50-percent of its shot attempts, the Blue Tigers are 6-0. When Lincoln falls under that 50-percent threshhold, LU is 4-5.

QUITE FRANCKLY:  Franck Yetna has 30 steals on the year for an average of 2.0 per game, with both of those numbers ranking third in the MIAA this season. Yetna additionally rates 44th in the country in total steals and 46th in steals per contest. Yetna, who averages 12.7 points, is grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game while dishing 1.1 assists.

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:  The Blue Tigers are back at home on Wednesday (Jan. 24) to host Missouri Western at 7:30 p.m. CST.