BLUE TIGERS WEEKEND UPDATE

Women's Basketball

The Blue Tigers split a pair of road games over the weekend, winning a non-conference contest at Texas-Permian Basin (Odessa, Texas) 65-60 on Jan. 13 and losing at Oklahoma Panhandle State University (Goodwell, Okla.) 72-64 on Jan. 15 in Heartland Conference play. 

In the victory at the Falcon Dome, Brezette Elder-Wade scored 19 points to lead Lincoln University.  Also dropping in double digit points for the Blue Tigers were Jasmine Washington (13) and Isha Sam (10).  Sam snared 11 rebounds and Tiffannie Wolfe grabbed 10.   Amy Synatschk paced the Falcons with 19 points and 12 rebounds.  Calli Smith also scored in double figures for UTPB with 15 points.  It was the first home game of 2006-07 for the Falcons.

In their first Heartland Conference road test of the season, the Blue Tigers did not pass.  Lincoln University lost to Oklahoma Panhandle State University 72-64 in Oscar Williams Fieldhouse.  Turnovers once again proved to be the Blue Tigers downfall as the 22 committed by Lincoln University were converted into 21 Lady Aggies points.  Washington and Wolfe scored 17 points each to top the Blue Tigers offense.  Elder-Wade knocked in 13 points.  Wolfe pulled down 10 rebounds.  Leading four Lady Aggies who scored in double figures were Nina Kuleff and Sarah Polson with 15 apiece.  Megan Hamilton contributed 14 points and Yadira Ortega 10. 

The Blue Tigers (2-15, 0-2) are the only Heartland team without a conference victory.  Lincoln University returns to action on Jan. 20 at 5:30 p.m. with a game at Montana State University-Billings.  The action from Alterowitz Gym against the Lady Jackets can be heard by following the directions listed here.

Men's Basketball

The Blue Tigers season of torment continued on their recent road trip.  Riding a 10-game winless drought, during which four games were decided by 25 points (four single-digit losses) the Blue Tigers record has plummeted to 3-10 overall and 0-2 in Heartland Conference play.  Similar to the women's basketball team, the men are the sole squad without a Heartland Conference win. 

The void in the paint and dearth of bench support has resulted in a mostly six-player rotation.  The pared down lineup featured by the Blue Tigers has yielded an increase in scoring average from 64.4 points-per-game before the end of the first semester to 73.3 ppg since the end of the same semester, but this rise has not resulted in victories. 

For the fifth time this season, the Blue Tigers allowed an opposing student-athlete to notch 26 or more points.  Lincoln University has lost each of the four games in which this anomalous statistic has occurred.  Texas-Permian Basin beat Lincoln University 93-87 on Jan. 13.  It was the second single-digit loss in a row for the Blue Tigers.  Scoring in double figures for the Blue Tigers were Jared Boone 20, Ralph Mata 16, Brandon Harris 12 and James Edwards 11.  Nedrie Simmons filled the scoring column with 30 points for the Falcons, while Rashad Pride poured home 21.  Demitrius Davis added 19 points and Jerrod Dastrup threw in 11.  Pride ripped down 16 rebounds in the game.  The Falcons shot 48.4 percent (31-of-64) in the game.  It was the Falcons first home game of 2006-07.

Oklahoma Panhandle State University raced out to an early lead in Heartland Conference play on Jan. 15 in Goodwell, Okla. and never looked back.  Less than five minutes in the Aggies owned a 14-5 advantage.  A 12-6 spurt upped the OPSU edge to 26-11 with 10:15 left in the opening half.  The Aggies largest lead of the first half was 19 points, 37-18 at 3:29 on the clock.  An 8-3 spurt to begin the second half gave the Aggies their biggest lead of the game 45-24 with 14:51 to play and reached 21 points again at 58-37 following a pair of Fred Durr free throws at 8:42 remaining.  A lay-up by James Edwards with 4:55 to play capped a 13-2 Blue Tigers scoring spree to pull Lincoln University within 10 points, 60-50.  The Aggies ended the game on a 15-7 run to capture the blowout victory, 75-57.  OPSU shot 56 percent from the field in the first half (14-of-25) and knocked home 44 percent (4-of-9) of their 3-point shots.  For the game the Aggies shot 51 percent (25-of-49) from the field.  Boone led the Blue Tigers in scoring for the second consecutive game with 17 points.  Edwards tossed in 10 points.  Durr popped in 22 points for the Aggies, Luke Ogden scored 17 and E.J. Ollison put in 15.

Lincoln University returns to action on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. with a game at Montana State University-Billings.  The action from Alterowitz Gym against the Yellowjackets can be heard by following the directions listed here.

INDOOR Track and Field

The Blue Tigers held their own against some of the elite NCAA Division I teams and student-athletes from around the Midwest in the 21st Annual Missouri Invitational on Jan. 12 in the Hearnes Fieldhouse. 

Karen Robinson ran a 7.66 in the 60-meter dash, the fastest preliminary time.  Robinson finished second in the final being timed in 7.69.  Nandelle Cameron ran a 7.75 preliminary heat and placed fourth in the final (7.76).  Both times posted by Robinson and Cameron is NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks for the 22nd Annual Division II Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships.  The 2007 Championships are March 9-10 in Boston, Mass. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.  The host institution for the event is Stonehill College (North Easton, Mass.).  Cameron came in fifth in the 200-meter dash (25.95) and Robinson was sixth (26.05).  Meleshia Spencer was fifth in the 400-meter dash (58.16).  In the 800-meter run, Kaydian Howell placed fourth (2:20.24) and Nessa Paul was seventh (2:22.53).  The women's distance medley comprised of Spencer, Meisha Thompson, Howell and Paul came in third, (12:42.61).  Natoya Thompson placed fourth in the high jump, 1.60 meters (5-feet, 3-inches).  Kerry-Ann Robinson was seventh in the triple jump, 11.46 meters (37-feet, 7.25-inches). 

Jody Muschette won the 60-meter dash in 6.87 seconds.  Muschette ran a 6.90 in his preliminary heat.  The 6.87 by Muschette is an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark.  Pete Smith had a preliminary time of 7.02 (fourth) and 7.09 (seventh) in the final.  Decosma Wright (7.13, 10th) and Franklyn Mitchell (7.14, 14th) narrowly missed qualifying for the final (7.10, 8th).  Michael Trusty won the 200-meter dash (22.46).  Wilbert Walker (22.96) and Raymond Richards (23.27) almost finished in the top eight of the 200-meter race.  Carlington Marsh recorded a preliminary qualifying mark of 49.30 (third) in the 400-meter dash.  Ricardo Foster crossed the line sixth in the 400-meter dash (49.96).  The Blue Tigers had three student-athletes run in the top eight of the 800-meter run; Jean Nougues (3rd, 1:59.60), Richard Cross (4th, 1:59.66) and Rupert Smith (6th, 2:00.69).  Wright was the lone automatic qualifier of the meet for the Blue Tigers.  He ran a 7.90 in a 60-meter hurdles preliminary pass and won the meet with a final time of 7.94.  P. Smith came in second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.07) a provisional qualifying mark and an improvement upon his 8.10 preliminary effort.  Wilbert Walker secured an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark in the long jump with a leap of 7.40 meters (24 feet, 3.5-inches), which won the event.

The Blue Tigers next meet is this coming weekend (Jan. 19-20) in Carbondale, Ill. at the Saluki Booster on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

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