Complete Game Notes
Game #17: Indianapolis (5-14, 3-8 GLVC) at Lincoln (1-15, 0-10 GLVC)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers/
 
Game #18: Illinois-Springfield (4-15, 3-8 GLVC) at Lincoln
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/
Live Video: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers/
 
THE TIP OFF:  Two more home games are on tap for the Lincoln women's basketball team, which hosts a pair of GLVC opponents this week. On Thursday (Jan. 30), LU plays Indianapolis in Jason Gym at 5:30 p.m. CST. Then, on Saturday (Feb. 1), Lincoln plays Illinois-Springfield in Jefferson City at 1:00 p.m. CST. Saturday's game will also be Lincoln's annual Think Pink game, with fans asked to join the Blue Tigers in wearing pink in support of cancer survivors and organizations doing research on treatment possibilities. Lincoln's last complete game was played on Thursday, Jan. 23, when a strong second half allowed McKendree to beat the Blue Tigers in Lebanon, Ill., 80-58. Indianapolis and Illinois-Springfield are each 3-8 in the GLVC. After a slow start to the season, the Greyhound rebounded to win three of their past five contests. UIS dropped the first 12 games of the season, won three in a row, and then fell in three consecutive games before a 63-56 win over Missouri S&T on Jan. 23.
 
FAST BREAKS
- On Thursday, Lincoln and Indianapolis will play one another for the first time.
 
- Illinois-Springfield and Lincoln will meet for the sixth time on Saturday, with the Prairie Stars leading the all-time series, 3-2.
 
- The Blue Tigers last played Illinois-Springfield on Nov. 18, 2021, when UIS won in Springfield, 82-48.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Hanne Nybo averages 10.1 points while leading the Blue Tigers in rebounding (6.9 rpg.), and she is shooting .800 at the free throw line. The top scorer is Ayreona Carter with 10.4 ppg. while Biance Stocks averages 8.4 points and 3.3 boards. Isis Sanders is scoring 5.9 ppg. while Imani Harris is averaging 9.1 points and shooting .462 from the field.
 
HEAD COACH ADDAE HOUSTON:  A 17-year coaching veteran with strong ties to Missouri, Houston is in his first season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers. Houston helped DI Northwestern State record a .714 home winning percentage in 2023-24 following a successful four-year run as an assistant coach at Northwest Missouri, his alma mater. He was the head coach at Southwestern Community College from 2013-18, leading the team to its first postseason win in over a decade.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri-St. Louis 78, Lincoln 53
A big third quarter, in which Missouri-St. Louis out-scored Lincoln 25-10, proved to be the biggest difference as UMSL won, 78-53, in Jefferson City on Jan. 16. Imani Harris led LU with 13 points and five rebounds while Kiara Cabrera matched Isis Sanders with nine points apiece. Cabrera also had a team-high four steals.
 
Truman State 78, Lincoln 53
Lincoln shot .415 from the floor and .412 from three-point range, but Truman State made 17 free throws and held a 43-26 advantage on the glass as the Bulldogs beat LU, 78-53, in Kirksville, Mo. on Jan. 20. Hanne Nybo led Lincoln with 16 points and eight rebounds while Imani Harris scored 14 and Emma Wolken was next with 13 points.
 
McKendree 80, Lincoln 58
Imani Harris poured in 22 points, but Lincoln fell to McKendree in Lebanon, Ill., 80-58, on Thursday (Jan. 23). Kiara Cabrera scored 14 points, Hanne Nybo pulled down 10 rebounds and Nybo, Emma Wolken and Isis Sanders each scored six points.
 
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS:  Indianapolis has been outscored by opponents by an average of 66.3-58.7 this season, but Patricia Chikamba is averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, both of which are team-highs. Elana Wells is next on the scoring charts with 10.7 points per contest and is leading the team with 2.5 assists per night. Also high in the scoring ranks are Jaelynne Murray (7.7 ppg.) and Amyrah Sapenter (7.1 ppg.).
 
UI HEAD JAMA SHARP:  The first-year coach of the Greyhounds had a successful tenure as an assistant coach at Stetson, her alma mater. Sharp was named the 2022 Assistant Coach of the Year and gained experience coaching every facet of the program. As a player at Stetson, Sharp was a three-time team captain scored over 1,200 points in 133 career games.
 
SCOUTING THE PRAIRIE STARS:  Kayla Rice leads Illinois-Springfield with 17.6 points per game, followed by Niyah Udoiwod (15.0) and Emari Doby (12.2). Allysia McDaniel leads the team in rebounding with 5.5 per contest and the assist leader is Saharra Murphy with 3.3 per night. Rice also averages 3.4 steals for a squad that has forced 360 total turnovers in 2024-25.
 
UIS HEAD COACH OLIVIA LETT:  After a very successful tenure as the head coach at Millikin, in which she posted a 105-48 record and won a pair of conference championships, Lett was named the head coach of Illinois-Springfield in May of 2024. Lett began her career serving as an assistant at Illinois Wesleyan, her alma mater, and spent three years on the staff at Chicago.
 
NIFTY NYBO:  Hanne Nybo has done a little bit of everything this year, including scoring 10.1 points and leading LU with 6.9 rebounds per game. Nybo, who has two double-doubles this season, has also dished 11 assists, registered 11 steals and blocked nine shots. Nybo poured in a season-high 21 points against Upper Iowa and chipped in 16 against Truman State.
 
POSTPONEMENT:  Lincoln played at Maryville this past Saturday (Jan. 25), but partway through the third quarter a medical emergency on the court led to the contest being postponed. The game will eventually be resumed and played from the point of postponement until the end of the fourth quarter, but an official date for that resumption has yet to be announced.
 
ON TRACK:  Ayreona Carter, who spent 2023-24 as a part of Lincoln's track & field program, has returned to play on the women's basketball team this season and is off to a strong start. Carter, who played basketball in 2021-22 and 2022-23, is currently leading the team with 10.4 points per game. Carter is also averaging 4.2 rebounds and has blocked six shots while recording seven steals.
 
TWO FOUR FOR THREE:  Biance Stocks, #24 on LU's 2024-25 roster, has emerged as Lincoln's best shooter from long distance. Stocks, who is 12th in the GLVC in treys made per game, has drained 21 treys on the season, a team-high. Stocks, who scored 28 points against Emporia State, has made at least one trey in nine games this year.
 
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 will be in Fayette, Iowa to play Upper Iowa next Thursday (Feb. 6) at 5:00 p.m. CST.