Complete Game Notes
Game #12: Truman State (5-6, 2-1 GLVC) at Lincoln (4-7, 2-2 GLVC)
Date: Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
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 #13: Quincy (4-6, 1-2 GLVC) at Lincoln
Date: Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026
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:  The Lincoln women's basketball team tips off the new year at home, as the Blue Tigers resume GLVC play with a pair of games in Jason Gym over this weekend. On Friday (Jan. 2), Lincoln officially begins the 2026 portion of its schedule by hosting Truman State at 5:30 p.m. CST. On Sunday (Jan. 4), the Blue Tigers take on defending GLVC champion Quincy at 1:00 p.m. CST. LU is 4-7 overall and 2-2 in league play as the calendar turns to January, and the Blue Tigers additionally are 2-2 inside Jason Gym. Truman State is 2-1 in conference play and 5-6 on the season as well as 2-1 over is last three games. Quincy enters with a 4-6 record overall and a 1-2 mark in GLVC play.
 
FAST BREAKS
- On Friday, Lincoln and Truman State, two teams who used to play each other twice a season when both were in the MIAA, meet for the 60th time. The Bulldogs lead the series, 46-13.
 
- Truman State swept Lincoln in 2024-25, posting a 78-42 win in Jason Gym during the last meeting.
 
- Lincoln and Quincy meet for the 23rd time on Sunday. The Hawks hold a 15-7 advantage in the overall series.
 
- The Hawks won both of the regular season meetings in 2024-25, posting an 80-49 victory in Illinois and a 78-61 win in Jason Gym.
 
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  With 17.2 ppg., Laini Joseph has been Lincoln's top scorer this season, followed by Hallie Williamson with 10.1 ppg. Joseph is LU's leading rebounder with 6.2 per game, followed by Aaliyah Smith with 4.3 per night. Bella Borgos averages 8.6 points while Kennedy Jones leads LU in assists (2.6) and steals (2.1) while tallying 4.0 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
Emporia State 74, Lincoln 64
Laini Joseph (14 points), Taelyn Smith (13) and Isis Sanders (12) all scored in double figures, but the Blue Tigers fell to Emporia State, 74-64, in Kansas on Dec. 14. After trailing by 19 points in the third quarter, the Blue Tigers fought back to pull within eight late in the fourth, and LU forced the Lady Hornets into 21 turnovers while shooting .435 from long range. Bella Borgos came just shy of reaching double digits, finishing with nine points.
 
Missouri Western 89, Lincoln 61
Missouri Western shot .479 from the floor and .433 from three-point range en route to an 89-61 win over Lincoln in Jefferson City on Dec. 18. Laini Joseph led the Blue Tigers with 16 points, Kiara Cabrera added 13 and Hallie Williamson had 11.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:  Seven Truman State players average at least eight points per game, led by Emajin McCallop with 14.6 per game. Morgan Miller averages 11.0 points and a team-high 3.0 assists while Mariann Blass scored 10.6 points per contest. Mallory Ott leads TSU with 6.6 rebounds per game while chipping in 9.5 points. Lexie White is adding 9.0 points per contest.
 
TSU HEAD COACH THEO DEAN:  Dean began his tenure at Truman as a student manager, then became a graduate assistant and later served as the assistant coach from 2016-19. Dean was promoted to head coach following the 2018-19 season and guided the Bulldogs to four-straight winning seasons. He's been a part of five Bulldog teams who posted at least 20 victories.
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS:  Katey Flynn leads QU with 17.0 points, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Acheampomaa Danso is the top rebounder with 6.0 per contest and she averages 11.3 points while Hampton Williams is next with 9.1 points per night. Quincy is shooting .456 from the field and averages 69.6 points per contest.
 
QU HEAD COACH ALI SCHWAGMEYER-BELGER:  A former GLVC Player of the Year for the Hawks, Schwagmeyer-Belger is in her first year as the head coach at her alma mater. As a junior, she took home the GLVC's highest honor after averaging 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. After her college career, she played overseas before breaking into the coaching ranks as an assistant at Hannibal-LaGrange and the head coach at John Wood Community College.
 
WE LIKE FREE POINTS:  The Blue Tigers have been accurate at the free throw line, shooting .752 while making 10.7 baskets per game at the stripe. Lincoln is currently fourth in the GLVC as well as 54th in NCAA Division II in free throw accuracy. Both Isis Sanders and Hallie Williamson are .833 free throw shooters while Laini Joseph, who has made a team-high 34 free throws, shoots .829.
 
SCORING CHAMP:  Early in 2025-26, LU's Laini Joseph has emerged as one of the best scorers in the GLVC. Through 11 games, Joseph has 189 points, the second- most of any GLVC player as well as the 58th-most of any NCAA Division II player. Her 17.2 points per game rank second in the league and she is also seventh in rebounds (68) and sixth in total three-pointers made (25).
 
I'LL TAKE IT:  Kennedy Jones has been Lincoln's top thief, as she has stolen the ball 23 times, with at least one takeaway in nine of the 11 games in which she's played. Jones, who ranks fourth in the GLVC in steals and eighth in steals per game (2.1), has six multiple-steal games this season, including a five-steal performance in Lincoln's win over Lewis on Dec. 6.
 
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 ninth nationally with 27.7 long distance attempts per game. Lincoln makes an average of 8.5 treys per night, the second-most in the league and the 18th-most in the country. With an accuracy rate of .383, Hallie Williamson ranks fourth in the GLVC and 54th in Division II in three-point percentage.
 
NICE RUN BY SANDERS:  Isis Sanders is on a strong three-game run, starting with a 20-point performance vs. Lewis in which she went 6-for-7 from three-point range. Sanders followed that with a 12-point game vs. Emporia State and later dished three assists 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:  On Thursday (Jan. 8), Lincoln heads to Bolivar, Mo. to play Southwest Baptist in a 5:30 p.m. CST contest.