The Lincoln men's basketball team wants to play as many games at Jason Gym as it can. The Blue Tigers helped their cause to add an extra home contest with a 79-65 win against the Central Missouri Mules on Thursday night at Jason Gym.
The victory kept Lincoln in sixth place in the MIAA with two games before the conference tournament. Seeds 5-8 host first-round games.
Central Missouri entered the game as the No. 5 team in the Central Region Rankings, which debuted earlier this week. The Mules are also receiving votes in the NCAA Division II Top 25 poll.
Thursday's win also clinched a winning season for the Blue Tigers, making that three straight for Lincoln, which hasn't accomplished that feat since achieving three consecutive winning seasons from 1976-79.
Lincoln (15-11, 9-8 MIAA) scored the game's first 11 points in a span of about 3:30.
John Burton, Amariontez Ivory and Terrence Smith each knocked down a 3-pointer during the run.
Maurice Mason added a 3-pointer at the 9:11 mark for a 24-9 lead.
Ivory continued the hot shooting with a deep shot with :15 on the clock to give Lincoln a 45-23 lead against Central Missouri (19-6, 11-5) at halftime.
The Blue Tigers made 10-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Smith, who tied a season-high with 30 points, was one of four Blue Tigers to make three 3s. Mason scored 12 points, making three 3-pointers. Ivory and Burton also made three triples to score 10 and nine points, respectively. Ivory also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
The Mules chipped away at Lincoln's lead in the second half, but couldn't get any closer than 13.
A Clarence Smith 3-pointer got UCM within 53-40 with 14:07 left, but Ivory and Smith answered with back-to-back 3s.
Spencer Reaves, who led UCM with 18 points, cut it to 13 points twice with a 3-pointer at the 6:14 mark and with 2:03 remaining.
DJ Richardson had 17 points and Jakob Lowrance added nine for the Mules, who are fighting for a first-round bye in the MIAA Tournament in fourth place.
Lincoln will host Missouri Western (5-18, 3-13) at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday.
The Blue Tigers have already defeated the Griffons this season, an 81-72 victory Feb. 3 in St. Joseph.
In Thursday night's women's game, the ninth-ranked Jennies defeated the Blue Tigers 80-55.
UCM (21-2, 15-1 MIAA) started the game on an 20-4 run, capped by a Sydney Skaggs layup with 2:25 left in the first quarter.
The Jennies' lead was 25-10 by the end of the opening quarter, 42-25 at halftime and 65-35 after three quarters.
Lincoln cut UCM's lead to 11 on a Bre Colman basket early in the second quarter.
Another Coleman make with 2:45 left in the first half kept the Blue Tigers within 12. But the deficit was 17 at halftime and the Jennies ran away with it in the third quarter.
Paige Redmond was one of three Jennies to score in double figures with 18 points. Sydney Crockett scored 13 and Morgan Fleming added 10.
Bre Coleman led Lincoln (3-22, 0-17) with 17 points and Faith Brintle added 11.
Lincoln will host Missouri Western (11-14, 4-12) at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday.
The Blue Tigers fell 57-44 to the Griffons on Feb. 3 in St. Joseph.