ROLLA, Mo.  --  The Miners continue their six-game homestand this week, beginning their Great Lakes Valley Conference slate with games against Lincoln, Upper Iowa, and Quincy.

Series History
The Miners trail the Blue Tigers 36-43 all-time, dating back to 1956. The most recent matchup between the two came in 2019 when Lincoln defeated S&T 66-55 in Rolla, Missouri. The MIners have taken three of the last four in Gibson Arena, outscoring Lincoln 320-298.

About the Blue Tigers
The Blue Tigers just suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday, falling 75-56 to Southwest Baptist University in their Great Lakes Valley Conference play opener after winning their first five games of non-conference competition.

Lincoln has shown poise under pressure early this season, winning close games against Wayne State (Mich.) and Kentucky Wesleyan University, the latter of which came on a last second buzzer-beater three.

Senior forward Franck Yetna has been a standout performer for the Blue Tigers this season, averaging just short of a double-double at 15.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG. He scored a season-high 24 points in the thrilling 72-69 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan on November 10th.

About the Peacocks
Upper Iowa has a 5-1 record this season and will be playing their first GLVC game of the season on Monday against Quincy University. They started the season with a trio of double digit victories before falling to St. Cloud State 66-65.

The Peacocks are second in the conference in points per game, behind the Miners, averaging 83.7 through their first six contests. They boast the two leading scorers in the conference, with Noah King and Nick Reid averaging 20.7 and 19.8 points per game, respectively. Additionally, the Peacocks have claimed the last two straight Player of the Week awards, with Reid and Kyle Hrncir earning the honors.

About the Hawks
Quincy has split their opening six games of the season, going 3-3 so far. They will begin their GLVC slate with Upper Iowa on Monday and Drury on Thursday before coming to Rolla on Saturday.

The Hawks have struggled from the three-point line this year, only shooting 29.7%, which is second worst in the GLVC. The struggles have not been severely detrimental to their ability to score though, as they are still averaging 72.2 points per game. While Ethyn Brown is leading the team in points per game at 11.5, it is freshman guard Max Booher who has been a surprise contributor for the Hawks this season... averaging 11.3 points per game in just three appearances.

About the Miners
Missouri S&T is off to a strong start in their 2024-25 season, going undefeated through their first three games of the season. This marks the third season in a row that the Miners have begun the season with a 3-0 record.

S&T leads the Great Lakes Valley Conference in points per game through the opening weeks of the season, averaging 100.7 per game. They have had a balanced approach to scoring this season, with seven players averaging 7.0 points per game or better, with the top three all averaging 12.0 or more. Meanwhile, Lincoln is averaging the third fewest points per game at 71.2.

Aidan Burns (Thayer, MO/Thayer) continues to lead the Miners' freshman in scoring, averaging 8.7 points per game and knocking down the second most three-pointers on the team this season with five.

If there is one fault to be found with the Miners in the early stages of the season, it would be their 3-point defense... they are currently allowing opponents to shoot 36.8% from behind the arc which is fourth worst in the conference.

What's Next
The Miners will enjoy a bye week before hosting Calvary Bible on December 16th and traveling to the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas on the 19th and 20th.

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