Lincoln University of Missouri

http://www.lincolnu.edu

BLACK AND BLUE TIGERS

While enduring a continuous stretch of highway roads and its little white lines from Jefferson City, Mo. to Billings, Mont., the Blue Tigers had plenty of time to mentally and emotionally prepare for their games on Jan. 20 with the Lady Yellowjackets and Yellowjackets of Montana State University-Billings. After piling out of the bus following a close to 18-hour ride, not including stops, the Blue Tigers returned to Jefferson City, Mo. with two Heartland Conference losses from their action in Alterowitz Gymnasium on Jan. 20.

Women's Basketball

The 2005-06 Heartland Conference co-champion and current conference leading Lady Yellowjackets (14-4 overall, 3-1 HC) dispatched the Blue Tigers with ease, 73-47. The Blue Tigers lone lead in the game was 2-0 after a jump shot by Cherika Ramsey put Lincoln University in front at the 19:28 mark of the first half. MSU-B went on to take a 19-5 advantage with 11:25 remaining in the opening half. A 6-0 run by the Blue Tigers in less than three minutes cut the Lady Yellowjackets lead to 19-11. MSU-B finished the half on a 23-6 blast to go in front 42-17 at halftime. The Blue Tigers trimmed the lead to 18 points three times in the second half, the last at 54-36 after a Ramsey jumper with 8:11 to play. The Lady Yellowjackets biggest lead of the game was 29 points, 71-42 with 2:14 left. Montana State University-Billings went on to claim a 73-47 Heartland Conference win.

Ramsey was the only Blue Tiger to score in double figures with 15 points, a career high. The Blue Tigers out-rebounded the Lady Yellowjackets 39-28. In the loss Saturday, the Blue Tigers committed 27 turnovers, the second most they have given away this season. The Lady Yellowjackets scored 36 points off those 27 turnovers.

Lincoln University has had 20 or more turnovers in eight of their last nine games.

Lair Carpenter, three-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week and current leading scorer in the conference led all scorers with 19 points. Michelle Libber, two-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week and 2005-06 co-Heartland Conference Player of the Year, netted 14 points and yanked in a game-high 9 rebounds. The Lady Yellowjackets shot 50.9 percent (28-of-55) from the field and 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from three-point range.

Carpenter was the 2005-06 Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year and selected to the all-honorable mention team.

Since the inception of the Heartland Conference in 2000-01, the Blue Tigers are 31-6 (.837) overall when they score 65 points or more. The Blue Tigers are 10-4 (.714) in Heartland Conference play when they score 65 points or more, this includes a 3-2 (.600) mark in overtime. Of those 10 wins, nine were wins of greater than or equal to 10 points and one of the overtime wins being a single-digit victory.

The Blue Tigers (2-15, 0-3) remain the lone Heartland team without a conference victory. Lincoln University returns to action on Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m. with a home game against University of the Incarnate Word (8-9, 2-1). Since becoming Heartland Conference members in 2000-01, the Blue Tigers are 4-8 in games with the Cardinals. The last victory against Incarnate Word was 52-49 in overtime on Feb. 5, 2005 in Jason Gymnasium. Current Blue Tiger, Tiffanies Wolfe had 10 rebounds in that game. That win is also the most recent home victory for the Blue Tigers against a current member of the Heartland Conference.

Men's Basketball

Playing another game on a schedule where each has had a feeling of the Blue Tigers being shorthanded before the opening tip-off, the seven Lincoln University student-athletes taking the court in Alterowitz Gymnasium on Jan. 20 gave a valiant effort in a 95-84 defeat.

Behind a career high 23 points on a career high 22 shot attempts, Jared Boone alone was not enough as the Blue Tigers lost 95-84 to the Yellowjackets. In a game played from beyond the three-point arc and won in the paint, the Yellowjackets dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Blue Tigers 45-30. The 45 rebounds allowed the Yellowjackets to score 25 second chance points, were they possessed a 25-16 advantage over the Blue Tigers. MSU-Billings also controlled the paint maintaining a 30-24 edge in production down low.

Lincoln University could not keep up with the run and gun offensive onslaught displayed by Montana State University-Billings in the first half. The Yellowjackets prolific long-range shooting in the first half, 11-of-21 (.524) allowed them to gain a 54-38 halftime edge. MSU-B kicked off the second half on a 10-3 run to earn their largest lead of the game, 64-41 (23 points) with 17:58 left in the contest. The Blue Tigers came as close as 10 points on three different occasions late in the game with the last being 89-79 after Boone knocked in a 3-point shot at the 3:48 mark. Lincoln University could not convert a couple lay-up chances in the waning minutes of the game, which would have made the game closer. The Yellowjackets thwarted any late rally by the Blue Tigers and won 95-84.

The Blue Tigers, who never led in the game, hit new season highs in three-point shots made (16), attempts (32) and 3-point percentage (50 percent) to break their previous highs of 11, 28 and a .409 percentage, respectively. The impressive outside shooting was appealing but inside the arc the Blue Tigers struggled. Lincoln University made just 34.2 percent (12-of-35) shots inside of 3-point range. In just two games this season have the Blue Tigers shot better than 45 percent from the field.

The 29 points by the Yellowjackets Tom D’Amore was a game high effort for the five double figure scorers of MSU-B. Cody Samuelson put in 16 points, Jonathan Wiley 15, Derek Taylor 13 and Troy Ruff 11. Samuelson ripped down a game high 12 rebounds. Carl Johnson scored 8 points and pulled in 10 rebounds for the Yellowjackets.

For the game Montana State University-Billings shot 54.5 percent (36-of-66) from the field.

In addition to the 23 points from Boone, Ralph Mata added 20 points, James Edwards 13 and Brandon Harris 11.

Lincoln University is 0-4 overall against Montana State University-Billings, 0-3 in Heartland Conference play.

In three games against Montana State University-Billings in 2005-06, Lincoln University was soundly beaten by an average of 29 points. In the two games played in the unfriendly confines of Alterowitz Gymnasium in 2005-06 the margin of victory was 30 points. During the two Heartland Conference games of 2005-06 the Yellowjackets beat the Blue Tigers by an average of 36.5 points-per-game. The Yellowjackets have lost less than 20 games total since 1995-96 in games played in Alterowitz Gymnasium.

Lincoln University returns to action Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. hosting University of the Incarnate Word in Jason Gymnasium. The Blue Tigers have won three in a row against the Cardinals. Lincoln University is 7-5 overall in games with Incarnate Word since 2000-01, but 3-3 under head coach Charles Terry (2003-04). The Blue Tigers last Heartland Conference win was against Incarnate Word 58-48 on Feb. 17, 2006 in Jason Gymnasium.

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