SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A late 10-run lifted Lake Superior State to a 76-64 win over the Lincoln men’s basketball team in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Saturday afternoon (March 15).
Franck Yetna led the Blue Tigers with 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to go with an assist, a steal and a block. Andreas Fuller finished with 18 points, seven boards, two assists, a block and a pair of steals. Max Ekono rounded out Lincoln’s double-digit scorers with 11 points, eight rebounds, a block and an assist.
Fuller and Ekono respectively scored the first two baskets of the game and the Blue Tigers took a 10-3 lead on a layup by Fuller off of a fast break. Back-to-back treys pulled the Lakers to within one, and LSSU later went on a 9-0 run to take the advantage on the scoreboard, 17-12. A trey by Mikey West with 6:03 remaining pulled the Blue Tigers back within 26-25, but the Lakers scored the next 10 points to regain the momentum.
Lake Superior State (28-6) shot .415 for the ballgame while holding the Blue Tigers to .382 shooting overall and .304 from beyond the arc. Lincoln finished with a 35-34 advantage in rebounding, but the Lakers made 12 total three-pointers and forced LU into 10 turnovers, leading into 12 LSSU points. The Lakers’ success in these areas helped LSSU take a 44-33 lead into halftime.
The Blue Tigers came out strong in the second half, scoring the first six points en route to an 8-2 run that cut the Laker lead down to 46-41. Lincoln twice got back within three before Lake Superior State hit a triple to go back up by six with 7:24 remaining. Tyler Chapman banked a three off the backboard and through the hoop to get LU to within 59-56, and, after a quick defensive board by Yetna, Chapman tied the game by swishing another trey. Chapman ended the day with eight points, two boards and an assist.
On the ensuing possession, Lincoln forced Lake Superior State to throw a bad pass, giving the ball back to LU with about six minutes to play. Lincoln tried to make a third-straight three, but the ball went in and out of the basket, and the Lakers hit a jumper that served as the springboard for a 10-0 run. West made a three later to get the Blue Tigers back within seven, but Lake Superior State managed to close out the game.
Matthieu Biembongo and Caleb Wright each blocked shots, with Biembongo also securing five rebounds. Malcolm Davis provided two points, two rebounds and a pair of assists to the Blue Tiger cause. West, meanwhile, closed the scoring with six points.
Lincoln, which made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1981 after winning the GLVC Championship, concludes the season with a 23-9 record.
Source: Dan Carr/LU Athletics
