Complete Game Notes
Game #13: Lincoln (9-3, 1-3 GLVC) at Quincy (6-5, 1-2 GLVC)
Date: Friday, Jan. 3, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Quincy, Ill.
Live Stats: https://quhawks.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers
 
Game #14: Lincoln at Truman State (7-4, 1-2 GLVC)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Kirksville, Mo.
Live Stats: https://trumanbulldogs.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers
 
THE TIP OFF:  After finishing its non-conference slate with a perfect 8-0 record, the Lincoln men's basketball team tips off the new year by beginning a 16-game run against GLVC opponents. The first two of those games take place this weekend, as the Blue Tigers open 2025 with a pair of road contests. On Friday (Jan. 3), Lincoln visits Quincy, Ill. to play Quincy at 7:30 p.m. CST. On Sunday (Jan. 5), the Blue Tigers travel to Kirksville, Mo. to face Truman State in a 3:00 p.m. CST contest. The Blue Tigers ended 2024 by winning a neutral site game, 74-49, against Ohio Dominican on Dec. 22. LU, which is 1-3 vs. GLVC opponents, will try to start the year off on a high note against two teams that are each 1-2 in the league.
 
FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Quincy will meet for the 30th time, with the Hawks leading the all-time series, 17-12.
 
- The Blue Tigers last played Quincy on Dec. 15, 2019. The Hawks won that game, played at Quincy, 90-84.
 
- LU and TSU, long-time rivals when both were members of the MIAA, will play one another for the 87th time on Sunday. Truman State leads the series, 50-36.
 
- The last two games between Lincoln and Truman State were both very close. On Nov. 28, 2017, Lincoln beat the Bulldogs in Kirksville in overtime, 85-84. The previous year, TSU won in Jefferson City, 72-71.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  With nearly an average of a double-double per game, Franck Yetna (15.9 ppg., 7.7 rpg.) is leading Lincoln in the early part of its 2024-25 season. Xavier Ball is tallying 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while Tyler Chapman is averaging 3.8 assists to go with 12.0 points per contest. Max Ekono enters the week averaging 6.6 points while Malcolm Davis is tallying 4.7 boards per night.
 
HEAD COACH JIMMY DREW:  In his third year as the head coach at Lincoln, Drew led the Blue Tigers to 17 overall wins and 13 conference wins, the latter a program record, in 2022-23. Drew has led LU to a pair of postseason appearances as well as a playoff victory in 2023-24. Drew came to Lincoln following a six-year run on the staff at Division I Central Florida, where he helped UCF make the second round of the NCAA tourney.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri State 61, Lincoln 49
Lincoln led at halftime, but Missouri State scored 38 points in the second half to beat LU, 61-49, in a game that counted as an exhibition for the Blue Tigers on Dec. 18. Xavier Ball led Lincoln with 11 points and six rebounds. Tyler Chapman scored 10 and Max Ekono finished with nine points.
 
Lincoln 74, Ohio Dominican 49
Tyler Chapman drained six treys and finished with 30 points to lead the Blue Tigers to a 74-49 win over Ohio Dominican in a game played at Lakeland College in Illinois on Dec. 22. Malcolm Davis added 14 points and Franck Yetna scored 10 with both players grabbing six rebounds. Max Ekono pulled down 13 boards.
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS:  Max Booher leads Quincy with 14.9 points per game, El Siegers adds 11.9 and Ethyn Brown is next on the list with 10.1 points per contest. John Kelly III is the top rebounder with 4.8 per night and Camren Kincaid averages a team-high 3.3 assists. Jake Hamilton has a team-best 17 steals.
 
QU HEAD COACH BRAD HOYT:  In his first year as the head coach at Quincy, Hoyt has the Hawks off to a 6-5 start. Hoyt previously coached at John Wood Community College for 14 seasons and amassed 257 wins while going 91-35 against conference opponents. Hoyt was one of the first members of the NJCAA diversity council and spent two seasons as the men's NJCAA Region 24 director.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:  Truman State is 7-4 overall, but is getting out-scored 77.9-76.1 on average this season. Xavier Hall leads TSU with 12.4 points and 6.2 assists per game while Kobi Williams adds 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. Matt Haefner, who averages 8.4 points, leads Truman State with 4.6 rebounds per game, while Trey Shearer averages 11.9 points.
 
TSU HEAD COACH JEFF HORNER:  From 2020 through 2022, Horner led Truman State to three-straight NCAA Division II tournament bids and, at one point, had the Bulldogs ranked No. 2 in the country. During his six years at TSU, Horner has led the program to one GLVC tournament title, two regular season league championships and a nearly .750 winning percentage at home.
 
ATTACK THE GLASS:  Lincoln has been strong on the glass, pulling down 40.7 rebounds per game, the 23rd-most in Division II. LU averages 28.9 defensive rebounds, the third-most in the GLVC and the 31st-most in the nation. LU's 6.8 rebound margin is the third-best in the league as well as the 38th-best in the country, and Lincoln is 6-2 when out-rebounding opponents this year.
 
SHUTDOWN DEFENSE:  The Blue Tigers have allowed fewer than 20 points in the first half of two games this year and are currently third in NCAA Division II in field goal defense (.371) and have the nation's third-best scoring defense (58.8). The Blue Tigers are leading the GLVC while rating 16th in the nation in blocks (4.8) and second in the GLVC in scoring margin (+13.0).
 
ON THE LINE:  Through 12 games in 2024-25, the Blue Tigers have yet to play in a game in which they shot more free throws than their opponent. In fact, in terms of free throw attempts, Lincoln ranks 259th out of 287 teams in NCAA Division II. When the Blue Tigers do get to the line, however, they have made the most of it, as Lincoln is 41st nationally and fourth in the GLVC in free throw accuracy (.769).
 
QUITE FRANCKLY:  Franck Yetna has been a force on the glass, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, the 72nd-most in NCAA Division II. Yetna, who has three double-doubles on the season, is leading Lincoln in scoring (15.9) and ranks second in the conference in offensive rebounds (3.0, the 35th-most in Division II).
 
BLOCK PARTY:  Lincoln is averaging 4.8 blocks per game, the most in the GLVC and the 16th-most in NCAA Division II. Franck Yetna and Matthieu Biembongo each have 17 blocks on the year, tying for the most in the conference. Nationally, Yetna and Biembongo are tied for 30th in total blocks and 42nd in blocks per game (1.4).
 
GET YOUR TICKETS:  Lincoln is partnering up with Hometown Ticketing once again to sell tickets to all of LU's basketball games online in 2024-25. For more information, or to purchase single game or regular season tickets, visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets.
 
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 GLVC Network. Every LU home game will be broadcast through a new multi-camera system and can be seen at https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers/.
 
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 play at home for the first time in 2025 when LU hosts Drury at 7:30 p.m. CST on Thursday (Jan. 9).