Monday's Game At A Glance
• The Lindenwood men's basketball team will host a first-round MIAA Tournament game on Monday evening at Hyland Arena. The Lions take on the Lincoln Blue Tigers in a 7 p.m. contest.
 
• Lindenwood ended the regular season in thrilling fashion with a last second win on Saturday over Missouri Western. The Lions finished the regular season with a 21-11 record, and they finished eighth in the conference standings with a 10-9 mark.
 
• Lincoln lost its final regular season contest on Saturday with an 82-53 loss versus nationally-ranked Northwest Missouri. The Blue Tigers enter the postseason with a 16-12 record, and they tied for ninth in the MIAA with a 9-10 record.
 
• Lindenwood leads the all-time series with Lincoln by an 11-5 record, including an 8-2 mark since the Lions joined the MIAA. Lindenwood is 6-2 against Lincoln in games played in St. Charles, Mo.
 
• Lindenwood won both games in the regular season against Lincoln. It took the opener on the road by a 76-67 score after overcoming a double-digit first-half deficit. Lindenwood won game two at home by a 73-61 score. The Lions shot 62.5 percent from the field in that game and had a +13 rebounding margin.
 
Lindenwood Notes
• Lindenwood has made the MIAA Tournament every year it has been eligible, a streak dating back to the 2013-14 season. The last two seasons, the Lions advanced to the quarterfinal round, including winning their first postseason MIAA game last year.
 
• Lindenwood reached the 20-win plateau this season, the first time it has done so since joining the NCAA. It is the eighth 20-win season in program history, and the first since going 28-3 during the 2011-12 campaign.
 
• The Lions finished the season strong, winning seven out of their last nine games, with the only losses coming against MIAA champion Northwest Missouri. Lindenwood held its opponents under 70 points in seven of those ballgames.
 
• Lindenwood is 11-5 at Hyland Arena this season, including a 7-0 record in non-conference games. The Lions are shooting 48.5 percent at home.
 
• In its last five home games, Lindenwood is shooting 52.5 percent from the field. It is averaging 76.8 points a game in that span.
 
• Lindenwood looks to get an early lead on Monday. The Lions are 15-2 when leading at halftime, and 18-0 when leading at the five-minute mark of the second-half.
• In its two regular season games against Lincoln, the Lions averaged 74.5 points, and they held the Blue Tigers to 64.0 points a game. Lindenwood's expected starters averaged double-figure points in those games, and those five shot 61.8 percent from the field. Bakari Triggs led the Lions with 17.0 points a game. Dominique Dobbs averaged a double-double with 10.5 points and 10.0 rebounds a contest.
 
• Chandler Diekvoss has scored in double-figures in 10 out of the last 11 contests. In those 10 games, he is averaging 17.2 points a game, and shooting 52.9 percent from the field.
 
• Six different players have led the team in scoring this year, including five players leading in multiple games. Six Lions have had 10 or more double-figure scoring games.
 
• Since Christmas, Jackson Price and Bakari Triggs are both averaging double-figure points, with Price putting up 12.7 a game, and Triggs averaging 10.1.
 
• The winner of Monday's game will advance to Thursday's quarterfinals, where it will take on top-seed Northwest Missouri at 6 p.m. The semifinals will be on Saturday, and the championship game is Sunday afternoon. The final three rounds take place in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
 
A Look At The Blue Tigers
• Lincoln ranks fifth in the MIAA by scoring 76.8 points per game, and it is ninth by allowing 72.5 points per contest.
 
• The Blue Tigers are third in the conference with a 3.18 turnover margin, and it is also third by forcing 15.1 turnovers a game.
 
• Anthony Virdure leads the conference and is 22nd nationally by averaging 22.1 points a game. He has gotten to the free-throw line 212 times and made 77 percent of his shots. Virdure is also the team leader with 4.3 assists a game, which ranks fourth in the league.
 
• Jaylon Smith is third in the conference in scoring with 20.8 points per game. He leads the Blue Tigers with 70 three-pointers, 6.5 rebounds a game, 21 blocked shots, and 55 steals.