Complete Game Notes | Home Game Policy
Game #27: Northeastern State (10-16, 5-15 MIAA) at Lincoln (14-12, 9-11 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 29, 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 #28: Rogers State (16-10, 13-7 MIAA) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, March 2, 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:  Playoff positioning is on the line as the Lincoln men's basketball team hosts its final two regular season games of 2023-24 in Jason Gym this week. The Blue Tigers host Northeastern State on Thursday (Feb. 29) at 7:30 p.m. CST with a chance to pick up another sweep, as Lincoln beat the RiverHawks, 63-49, on the road on Jan. 20. On Saturday (March 2), Lincoln closes the regular season with an opportunity to avenge one of its closest losses of the year as the Blue Tigers take on Rogers State at 3:00 p.m. CST. The Hillcats beat Lincoln in Claremore, Okla., 67-62, on Jan. 18. The Blue Tigers are guaranteed a spot in the MIAA Championship tourney and could be anywhere between the sixth and 10th seeds depending on this week's results.

FAST BREAKS
- On Thursday, Lincoln and Northeastern State will meet for the 17th time, with the RiverHawks leading the all-time series, 9-7.

- Lincoln and Rogers State will meet for the sixth time on Saturday, with the Hillcats leading the series, 5-1.

- Thursday is both Greek Night, with performances by LU's sororities and fraternities, as well as the Coaches vs. Cancer Game.

- Saturday is a White Out and Senior Day, with Lincoln's seniors being honored prior to the start of the game.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Elijah Farr is averaging 12.2 points and 6.9 rebounds while DJ Richardson is scoring 15.1 points per night and dishing 3.4 assists. Franck Yetna, with 11.1 points per contest, is also one of the team's top scorers while Jamar Madge, Jr. averages 6.7 points and Jose Roberto Tanchyn averages 7.0.

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
Washburn 66, Lincoln 64
Lincoln led for nearly the entire night, but a three-pointer in the final seconds gave Washburn a 66-64 win in Topeka, Kan. on Thursday (Feb. 22). DJ Richardson led four Blue Tigers in double figures with 20 points, Sam Rautins scored 14 and Trey Boston and Elijah Farr each had 10 points.

Emporia State 66, Lincoln 57
Lincoln led 31-25 at halftime, but Emporia State rallied to win, 66-57, on Saturday (Feb. 24). The Blue Tigers shot .424 from the field and held the Hornets to .391 shooting, but Emporia State went 22-for-28 at the free throw line while Lincoln just had one shot at the charity stripe. DJ Richardson finished with 19 points and Elijah Farr scored 16 while Jose Roberto Tanchyn grabbed 11 boards and Tyson Robinson had two steals.

SCOUTING THE RIVERHAWKS:  NSU is led by Anthony Allen with 13.1 points per game while Trey Quartlebaum is next with 11.4 ppg. Ethan Blackmon leads Northeastern State with 5.7 boards per night and averages 10.7 points, and Jaxon Jones is tallying 10.0 points and 5.4 assists per contest. Caison Hartloff, with 9.9 ppg., is also nearly averaging double digits.

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 has led the team to a 43-61 record.

SCOUTING THE HILLCATS:  Rogers State is 16-10 despite being out-scored on the season by an average of 77.3-76.7. Isaac Johnson leads Rogers State with 14.5 points per contest, followed by Rodney Battle (14.2 ppg.), Kofi Hamilton (11.3) and Anthony Marshall, Jr. (10.7). Hamilton leads the Hillcats in rebounding (5.3) while Marshall leads RSU in assists (3.9). Evan Anderson is close to double figures with 9.0 points per game.

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 12 of his first 14 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.

FARR OUT:  Elijah Farr, who has recorded seven double-doubles this season, has stepped up his scoring over the past two months. In 10 of the Blue Tigers' last 15 games, Farr has finished with at least 10 points, and he has hit double figures in 18 total games in 2023-24. Farr is averaging 12.2 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.

SENIOR NIGHT:  Prior to the Blue Tigers' game on Saturday, Lincoln will recognize its players who are graduating. Four members of the LU men's basketball team will be celebrates in the Senior Day ceremony: Jamar Madge, Jr., Sam Rautins, DJ Richardson and Arash Yaqubi.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NUMBERS:  Lincoln is sharp at the line, shooting .791, NCAA Division II's fourth-best free throw percentage. The Blue Tiger defense is 16th in DII, as opponents score just 66.2 points per contest. Lincoln's field goal defense (.423) is the country's 51st-best while LU's 3.3 blocks per game rank 86th nationally.

PLAY IT, DJ:  DJ Richardson, who has the nation's 15th-best free throw percentage of .895, is leading Lincoln, and he is sixth in the MIAA, with 15.1 points per game. He is leading Lincoln with 3.4 assists per game, averages 3.4 boards and is shooting .462 overall, with that percentage ranking 10th in the MIAA. His 77 made three throws are also the 11th-most by an MIAA player this season.

BACK TO THE MUNI:  The Blue Tigers have clinched their second-straight berth in the MIAA Championship tourney and its eighth in the past nine seasons. Lincoln will play at Municipal Auditorium for the second season in a row. In five of its past eight postseason appearances, Lincoln has won at least one game.

QUITE FRANCKLY:  Franck Yetna has scored at least 10 points in 16 games this season to average 11.1 points per game, but he has also been great at rebounding. Yetna has grabbed at least five rebounds in 14 contests, including a 20-point, 10-board night against Missouri Southern. Yetna has helped LU out-rebound opponents 14 times in 2023-24.

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 will be in Kansas City, Mo. for the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship from March 5-10.