Complete Game Notes | Game Day Policy
Game 18: #22 Missouri Western (14-3, 8-3 MIAA) at Lincoln (11-6, 6-5 MIAA)Date: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/lubluetigers/

Game #19: #21 Northwest Missouri (13-4, 9-2 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024
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:  A pair of ranked opponents visit Jason Gym this week as the Lincoln men's basketball team plays a pair of home games. On Wednesday (Jan. 24), the Blue Tigers play Missouri Western at 3:00 p.m. CST. On Saturday (Jan. 27), Lincoln hosts Northwest Missouri. In this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, Northwest Missouri is ranked No. 21 in the country while Missouri Western is right behind at No. 22. Lincoln split its last two games, both on the road, as LU fell to Rogers State, 67-62, in Claremore, Okla. on Thursday (Jan. 18) before beating Northeastern State, 63-49, on Saturday (Jan. 20) in Tahlequah, Okla.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Missouri Western have met 52 times, with MWSU leading the series, 38-14. The Blue Tigers beat the Griffons, 70-56, on the road in the only meeting between the two teams last season.

- Lincoln's last victory over a ranked opponent came on Jan. 30, 2021, when LU beat MWSU at home, 95-74. The Griffons entered that game ranked No. 23.

- Lincoln and Northwest Missouri meet for the 88th time on Saturday, with NWMSU holding a 57-30 lead in the overall series. LU's last win over NWMSU was a 79-74 home victory in 2015.

- NWMSU beat LU in Maryville, Mo. last year, 59-38.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Elijah Farr is averaging 12.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while DJ Richardson is scoring 15.8 points per night and 3.4 assists. Franck Yetna, with 12.4 points per contest, is also one of the team's top scorers while Jamar Madge, Jr. averages 8.1 points and Jose Roberto Tanchyn averages 7.8.

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
Rogers State 67, Lincoln 62
Rogers State made 15 of 17 free throw attempts to edge Lincoln, 67-62, on Thursday (Jan. 18). The Blue Tigers and the Hillcats each shot .424 overall and Lincoln shot .400 from three-point range, but LU was only awarded four free throw attempts. Jamar Madge, Jr. led Lincoln with 13 points while Jose Roberto Tanchyn had 12 points and seven boards as well as three steals.

Lincoln 63, Northeastern State 49
Both Elijah Farr (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Jose Roberto Tanchyn (11 points, 11 rebounds) tallied double-doubles as Lincoln rolled to a 63-49 road win over Northeastern State on Saturday (Jan. 20). DJ Richardson scored nine points and dished five assists while Franck Yetna added 12 points as LU shot .500 from the floor while holding a 36-24 advantage in rebounding.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS:  Four members of the Griffons average at least 10 points, led by JaRon Thames with 16.2 per contest. Zion Swader is averaging 12.9 points, followed by Julius Dixon (12.8) and Taye Fields (11.5). Fields is also leading Missouri Western in rebounds (9.4) and assists (4.3).

MWSU HEAD COACH WILL MARTIN:  The fourth-year coach of the Griffons has MWSU off to a 14-3 start in 2023-24. In his first season as the head coach, Martin led MWSU to 14 wins, a trip to the semifinals of the MIAA tournament and a berth in the NCAA tourney. Martin, who spent two years working as an assistant coach with Missouri Western, also has worked on staffs at San Francisco and Martin Methodist.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS:  Wes Dreamer's 19.4 points and 7.0 rebounds lead the Bearcats while Bennett Stirtz is averaging 14.4 points. NWMSU, which enters today leading the MIAA, out-scores teams by an average of 73.3 to 60.5 points while holding a 30.1 to 23.7 advantage in rebounding. Isaiah Jackson leads the team with 4.5 assists per game.

NWMSU HEAD COACH BEN McCOLLUM:  In 15 seasons, McCollum has led NWMSU to over 350 wins and eight MIAA regular season titles. In 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022, McCollum directed the Bearcats to the NCAA Division II National Championship. McCollum played at NWMSU and led the Bearcats to the Elite Eight in 2001-02.

FARR OUT:  Elijah Farr is fourth in the MIAA and ranked 80th in Division II in rebounding (7.7), just one of the ways he has been a do-it-all player for the Blue Tigers. Farr ranks 47th in the country in defensive rebounding (6.0) and 23rd in double-doubles (six). He additionally is sixth in the MIAA in blocks (21) and has 13 steals while averaging 12.3 points and 2.7 assists.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NUMBERS:  Lincoln is sharp at the line, shooting .799, NCAA Division II's third-best free throw percentage. The Blue Tiger defense is 19th in DII, as opponents score just 66.2 points per contest. Lincoln's field goal percentage (.468) is the country's 80th-best while Lincoln's three-point percentage (.375) rates 49th. The Blue Tigers lead the MIAA with 8.6 three-pointers per game, 79th-most in DII.

PLAY IT, DJ:  DJ Richardson, who has the nation's 29th-best free throw percentage of .891, is leading Lincoln while rating eight in the MIAA with 15.8 points per game. He is leading Lincoln with 3.4 assists per game, averages 3.1 boards and is shooting .461 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 8-0 when out-gaining opponents on the glass and 2-0 when equaling rebounds. When the other team wins the rebound battle, Lincoln is 1-6.

SHOOT AROUND:  The other predictive stat is shooting percentage, as Lincoln is 10-2 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 7-0. When Lincoln falls under that 50-percent threshhold, LU is 4-6.

QUITE FRANCKLY:  Franck Yetna has 33 steals on the year for an average of 1.9 per game, with both of those numbers ranking third in the MIAA this season. Yetna additionally rates 43rd in the country in total steals and 52nd in steals per contest. Yetna, who averages 12.4 points, is grabbing 4.8 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:  Lincoln begins a three-game road trip on Saturday (Feb. 3) by visiting Warrensburg, Mo. for a 3:00 p.m. CT game at Central Missouri.