ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lincoln men's basketball team held Missouri-St. Louis to just 16 successful field goals as the Blue Tigers beat the Tritons, 58-51, to win the 2025 GLVC Championship on Sunday (March 9). Lincoln earns the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Championship, returning the Blue Tigers to the national tournament for the first time since 1981.

Andreas Fuller, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, led LU with 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished two assists as the Blue Tigers won their first-ever league tourney championship. Tyler Chapman was also named to the GLVC All-Tournament team after scoring 16 points, collecting two rebounds, dishing a pair of assists and recording a steal on Sunday.

Lincoln (23-8) broke an 8-8 tie when a jumper by Fuller began a 9-0 run for the Blue Tigers. Missouri-St. Louis (19-11) responded with a 10-4 run to get back within three, and later gained the lead on a trey that made the score 27-26 with 1:44 until halftime. After UMSL hit a pair of free throws, Max Ekono made a three just before time expired to tie the game at 29 entering halftime. Ekono grabbed nine rebounds and scored five points in the win.

The Blue Tigers scored nine of the first 11 points in the second half to take a 40-31 advantage, but the Tritons scored 10 unanswered points to regain the lead, 41-40, with 13:28 to play. The Blue Tigers briefly took back the lead, but UMSL tied the game at 48 at the 7:23 mark.

Franck Yetna broke the tie on a jumper with 6:06 remaining, and neither team scored again until Chapman made a layup with just under three minutes left in the championship game. Chapman later hit another layup to give LU a six-point lead, but Missouri-St. Louis drained a three to pull within 54-51 with 39 seconds left on the clock. That ended up being the final time that UMSL scored, while Malcolm Davis made two free throws and Yetna capped off the victory with a dunk for the 58-51 final.

Yetna nearly had a double-double, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Davis also scored nine to go with one rebound, Mikey West had two assists and a rebound and Matthieu Biembongo closed out Lincoln with four boards and two blocks. Tyson Robinson also represented LU on the court.

Lincoln will wait for the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship Selection Show, which will air on NCAA.com at 10:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday evening. For more information on the NCAA Division II tournament, check out the NCAA's information page.