Complete Game Notes
Game #25: Lincoln (14-10, 9-9 MIAA) at Washburn (15-9, 11-7 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Topeka, Kan.
Live Stats: https://wusports.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #26: Lincoln at Emporia State (16-10, 9-9 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Emporia, Kan.
Live Stats: https://esuhornets.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  The final two road games as a member of the MIAA for the Lincoln men's basketball team will be played this week as the Blue Tigers head to Kansas for a pair of crucial conference contests. LU visits Topeka, Kan. on Thursday night (Feb. 22) to play Washburn at 7:30 p.m. CST as the Blue Tigers try to avenge a narrow 70-69 home loss to the Ichabods back on Jan. 13. Then, on Saturday (Feb. 24), the Blue Tigers will be in Emporia, Kan. to face Emporia State at 3:30 p.m. CST. Lincoln is going for a season sweep over the Hornets after beating ESU in Jefferson City, 71-63, on Jan. 11. If the Blue Tigers win one of these two games, they will clinch a berth in the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship tournament.

FAST BREAKS
- Washburn and Lincoln meet for the 41st time this week, with the Ichabods leading the series, 34-6.

- The Blue Tigers swept Washburn last season, winning 72-67 in Topeka, Kan. on Jan. 7 before defeating WU in LU's penultimate home game, 64-58, on Feb. 16.

- Lincoln and Emporia State will meet for the 38th time on Saturday, with the Hornets holding a 24-13 advantage in the overall series.

- Thanks to a season sweep over Central Missouri, the Blue Tigers will clinch a postseason spot with a win over either Washburn or Emporia State.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Elijah Farr is averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds while DJ Richardson is scoring 14.7 points per night and dishing 3.2 assists. Franck Yetna, with 11.3 points per contest, is also one of the team's top scorers while Jamar Madge, Jr. averages 7.0 points and Jose Roberto Tanchyn averages 7.2.

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
Fort Hays State 60, Lincoln 41
Lincoln was held to .261 shooting from the floor and just one successful three-pointer as Fort Hays State won in Jefferson City, 60-41, on Thursday (Feb. 15). FHSU entered the game ranked No. 18 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll. Elijah Farr led LU with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Lincoln 87, Nebraska Kearney 66
Four Blue Tigers scored in double figures as LU shot .516 from the field en route to an 87-66 win over Nebraska Kearney on Saturday (Feb. 17) in Jason Gym. Elijah Farr finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Sam Rautins scored 16 while Trey Boston had 11 and Tyson Robinson finished with 14. DJ Richardson and Franck Yetna each scored nine points and tallied five rebounds.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS:  Andrew Orr (14.1 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) and Sam Ungashick (12.9 ppg.) are Washburn's leading scorers while Jack Bachelor is tallying 11.8 ppg. and a team-high 3.5 assists per contest. Brady Christiansen, who averages 8.3 points, leads the Ichabods with 6.9 rebounds per night.

WU HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD:  In his seventh season leading the Ichabods, Ballard has won over 100 games and has reached the MIAA tournament championship game four times, with Washburn winning the tourney in 2021. Ballard coached on staffs at Wake Forest and Tulsa, and was the head coach at Baker for two seasons.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Alijah Comithier is an outstanding all-around player, averaging 17.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Next on the scoring chart for ESU is Solomon Oraegbu with 16.3 points per contest, and Owen Long averages 15.4 points and a team-best 3.5 assists. The top rebounder for Emporia State is Darius Yohe (5.4 rpg.) and Atavian Butler is scoring 14.7 points per game.

ESU HEAD COACH CRAIG DOTY:  A three-time national champion head coach, Doty is in his sixth season as the leader of the Hornets. Doty, who is 94-74 at Emporia State, won a pair of national titles at Rock Valley before winning an NAIA title at Graceland. Doty has coached ESU to five wins over nationally-ranked teams, including a 74-65 victory over No. 1 Northwest Missouri last season.

FARR OUT:  Elijah Farr, who has recorded seven double-doubles this season, has stepped up his scoring over the past two months. In eight of the Blue Tigers' last 13 games, Farr has finished with at least 13 points, and he has hit double figures in 16 total games in 2023-24. Farr is averaging 12.1 points for the season, the second-best average on the team, and he is also recording 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest, with that rebounding average ranking fourth in the MIAA.

THEME NIGHTS:  On Feb. 29 the Blue Tigers will celebrate Greek Night while also participating in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game. The regular season finale on March 2 will be a "White Out" as well as Senior Day. Fans are asked to wear white for LU's last game of the regular season.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NUMBERS:  Lincoln is sharp at the line, shooting .790, NCAA Division II's fourth-best free throw percentage. The Blue Tiger defense is 15th in DII, as opponents score just 66.2 points per contest. Lincoln's field goal defense (.425) is the country's 62nd-best while LU's three-point defense (.328) rates 85th.

PLAY IT, DJ:  DJ Richardson, who has the nation's 20th-best free throw percentage of .897, is leading Lincoln, and he is fifth in the MIAA with 14.7 points per game. He is leading Lincoln with 3.2 assists per game, averages 3.4 boards and is shooting .449 overall, with that percentage ranking 11th in the MIAA. His 70 made three throws are also the 14th-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 the Blue Tigers are 11-2 when out-gaining opponents on the glass and 2-0 when equaling rebounds. When the other team wins the rebound battle, LU is 1-8.

SHOOT AROUND:  The other predictive stat is shooting percentage, as Lincoln is 13-3 when tallying a better field goal percentage than its opponents. When the opponent has the better shooting night, the Blue Tigers are 1-6. When LU makes at least 50-percent of its shot attempts, the Blue Tigers are 9-0. When Lincoln falls under that 50-percent threshhold, LU is 5-10.

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 host Northeastern State on Thursday (Feb. 29) at 7:30 p.m. CST and Rogers State on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. CST.