Complete Game Notes
Game #10: Lincoln (4-5) at Emporia State (5-3)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025
Time: 1:30 p.m. CST
Site: Emporia, Kan.
Live Stats: https://esuhornets.com/sidearmstats/wbball
Live Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets/
 
Game #11: Missouri Western (2-7) at Lincoln
Date: Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
Time: 5:00 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/wbball
Live Video: https://www.glvcsn.com/lincolnbluetigers
 
THE TIP OFF:  A pair of old conference rivals await the Blue Tigers this week, as the Lincoln women's basketball team ends the 2025 calendar year with two contests vs. MIAA opponents. On Sunday (Dec. 14), Lincoln travels to Emporia, Kan. to play Emporia State in a 1:30 p.m. CST contest. On Thursday (Dec. 18), the Blue Tigers close their December slate by hosting Missouri Western at 5:00 p.m. CST. The Blue Tigers played both of these teams last season and regularly competed against both programs when Lincoln was a member of the MIAA. LU is 4-5 on the season and 4-3 in its last seven games after beating Lewis on the road, 67-65, last Saturday (Dec. 6). ESU is 5-3 on the year while MWSU is 2-7.
 
FAST BREAKS
- The Blue Tigers and the Lady Hornets meet for the 41st time on Sunday, with Emporia State leading the series, 35-4.
 
- Emporia State has won three-straight in the series, most recently defeating the Blue Tigers, 73-62, in Jefferson City last season.
 
- Thursday marks the 52nd meeting all-time between LU and Missouri Western, with MWSU leading the series, 46-5.
 
- The Griffons and the Blue Tigers last met in 2024-25, with MWSU winning in St. Joseph, Mo., 94-52.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  With 17.9 ppg., Laini Joseph has been Lincoln's top scorer this season, followed by Hallie Williamson with 10.6 ppg. Joseph is LU's leading rebounder with 6.6 per game, followed by Aaliyah Smith with 5.2 per night. Bella Borgos averages 9.1 points while Kennedy Jones leads LU in assists (2.9) and steals (2.6) while tallying 4.1 boards per contest.
 
HEAD COACH ADDAE HOUSTON:  A 17-year coaching veteran with strong ties to Missouri, Houston is in his second season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers. Houston helped Division I Northwestern State record a .714 home winning percentage in 2023-24 following a successful four-year run as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Northwest Missouri.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Upper Iowa 90, Lincoln 67
Bella Borgos scored 16 points and Laini Joseph had 13, but Lincoln fell to Upper Iowa, 90-67, this past Thursday (Dec. 4) in Fayette, Iowa. UIU shot .583 from three-point range and .523 overall, but LU had 17 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 24 points.
 
Lincoln 67, Lewis 65
Lewis led 25-5 after the first quarter, but Lincoln rallied with 43 second-half points to beat the Flyers 67-65 on Saturday (Dec. 6). Laini Joseph led LU with 25 points and six rebounds and tied Kennedy Jones with five steals apiece. Isis Sanders came off the bench to score 20 points as the Blue Tigers shot .481 from the field. In the fourth quarter, LU shot .692 overall and 1.000 at the free throw line.
 
SCOUTING THE LADY HORNETS:  Emporia State has three players scoring in double figures, led by Kaitlyn Sanders with 17.9 points per night. Macey Gandee averages 11.0 points and leads ESU in both rebounding (6.0) and blocks (1.8). Gracie Gilpin rounds out the double-digit scorers with 11.4 points per contest, and Makenzie McDaniel is next on the scoring list with 5.1 points per game.
 
ESU HEAD COACH MJ BAKER:  The first-year head coach of Emporia State, Baker won over 180 games in an eight-year run at Eastern Florida State that included three trips to the NJCAA DI tournament. Baker has over 300 total wins as a collegiate coach with stops at Broward, Bluefield and Spartanburg Methodist. At every school she's coached, Baker has led the team to at least one conference championship.
 
SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS:  Missouri Western has a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging over nine points per game. Leading the team is Ana Oliviera Dias with 12.8 points per night, followed by Mia Morel (11.2) and Nakiya Harris (10.4), the latter of whom leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per contest. Despite holding a 2-7 record, the Griffons have only been outscored by an average of 70.3-69.7.
 
MWSU HEAD COACH LUKE SCHEIDECKER:  Scheidecker, in his first season with the Griffons, is a proven winner, having posted a 231-22 mark as the head coach at Wabash Valley. The 2024 WBCA Two-Year National Coach of the Year, he led the program to six conference championships and six trips to the NJCAA national tournament.
 
SHOOTING STARS:  Laini Joseph leads the GLVC, and ranks 19th in Division II, with 138 field goal attempts this season. Joseph has made 55 field goals, rating her second in the league as well as 41st in the nation. Hallie Williams is 18th in the conference in made field goals with 34 and averages 10.6 points while Joseph averages 17.9, the third-most in the GLVC.
 
SCORING CHAMP:  Early in 2025-25, LU's Laini Joseph has emerged as one of the best scorers in the GLVC. Through nine games, Joseph has 161 points, the most of any GLVC player as well as the 38th-most of any NCAA Division II player. Her 17.9 points per game rank third in the league and she is also sixth in rebounds (59) and fourth in total three-pointers made (19).
 
I'LL TAKE IT:  Kennedy Jones has been one of the best ball thieves in the country, as her 23 total steals rank her 41st in NCAA Division II and are also the most in the GLVC. She is averaging 2.6 steals per contest, the third-most by any GLVC player. Jones has had at least one steal in every game this season, and has notched at least three steals in five of those contests.
 
DIALING LONG DISTANCE:  No other team in the GLVC relies on the three-point shot more than Lincoln, as the Blue Tigers lead the league and rank 21st nationally with 26.6 long distance attempts per game. Lincoln makes an average of 8.0 treys per night, the third-most in the league and the 35th-most in the country. With an accuracy rate of .413, Hallie Williams ranks sixth in the GLVC and 44th in Division II in three-point percentage.
 
ROAD WARRIORS:  Most of Lincoln's games through the first two months of the season are on the road, as LU had just two home games in November and has two in the month of December in 2025. LU will be on the road until Dec. 18, when it closes the year vs. Missouri Western.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS:  Lincoln is partnering up with Hometown Ticketing once again to sell tickets to all of LU's basketball games online in 2025-26. For more info, 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:  Following the holiday break, Lincoln hosts Truman State on Friday, Jan. 2 in Jason Gym at 5:30 p.m. CST.