MBB Preview: Elizabeth City State

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA - Lincoln University men's basketball team looks to get back on the winning side of the ledger as they return home for the first time in almost a month, hosting Elizabeth City State. 

SERIES HISTORY
Lincoln trails the overall series, winning 11 of the 26 meetings. However, the Lions have won 10 of the last 13. Three of those Lincoln victories have come in overtime, including a 102-100 overtime win on January 20, 2020.

MR. TWO-WAY
Junior Zahrion Blue (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) leads the team, and is second in the CIAA, averaging 18.9 points per game. He has scored at least 15 points in 15 of the team's 17 games, including eight times of at least 20 points. Earlier this year, Blue reached 1,000 career points. 

He is currently ninth in the conference with 7.0 rebounds, sixth with 3.2 assists, and third in assist to turnover ratio. 

WINDEX MEN
Lincoln is one of the top rebounding teams in the CIAA, leading the league with 15.3 offensive rebounds and is third with 25.1 defensive rebounds. The Lions are second in rebounding margin, outrebounding their opponents by 6.5 boards per game. Two players - Alex Nunnally (Washington, D.C./Cesar Chavez Parkside) (4th, 8.0 rpg) and Blue (tenth, 6.9 rpg) - are ranked in the top 10 of the conference. 

HIGH OCTANE
The Lincoln University men's basketball team is second in the CIAA with 75.8 points per game. The Lions are one of five conference teams with a positive scoring margin, second in the league, outscoring teams by 5.6 points per game. 

DEFENSE
The Lions thrives on defense with the goal of holding its opponents to 60 points or less. In the recent seven-game winning streak, Lincoln has held four opponents to under 60 points, and is allowing just 62.2 points during the stretch. 

Prior to the aforementioned streak, Lincoln held just one of its first eight opponents under 60 points. Over the first eight games, the Lions were yielding 75.6 points per game. 

Lincoln is also third in defensive field goal percentage, holding teams to just 41.3 percent from the field. 

ATTENDANCE
Fans are showing up to Manuel Rivero this season as Lincoln leads the CIAA in home attendance, averaging 858 fans. It could play a huge role in Lincoln 5-1 home record this season. The lone loss, a 78-74 decision to Shepherd, came in the home opener.

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Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), educates and empowers students to lead their communities and change the world. Lincoln offers a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse student body of approximately 2,200 men and women in more than 35 undergraduate and graduate programs.