LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – The Lincoln University men's basketball team will try to shake off its first CIAA loss of the season as the Lions take on Livingstone College on Monday night in the CIAA Marquee matchup of the week.
   
Perhaps the biggest surprise of this young season has been the play of the Livingstone Blue Bears. 
 
Predicted to finish fifth in the six-team Southern Division, the Blue Bears are off to an impressive 10-1 record and have won seven straight.  More importantly, Livingstone is 2-0 in the conference heading into this week's featured CIAA matchup, a Monday showdown with 8-3 Lincoln. 
 
Livingstone opened the all-important conference portion of their schedule with wins over Bowie State and Virginia Union last week.  The Blue Bears are led by the electrifying guard tandem of Mark Thomas and Jody Hill.  The dynamic duo of Thomas and Hill have combined to become one of the most prolific scoring backcourts in the CIAA.  Thomas ranks fifth in the conference in scoring at 19.0 points per game and Hill is seventh in the league at 17.4 points per game.  Hill is also a top-notch defender, averaging 2.1 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 2.8 defensive rebounds per game, despite being just a shade over 6 feet tall. 
 
The Blue Bears' frontcourt also features a pair of the league's best rebounders in Eladio Espinoza (6.6 rebounds per game) and Tyler Johnson (6.9 rebounds per game), who both rank in the Top 15 in the conference in rebounds.  As a team, Livingstone averages 75.1 points per game, while allowing 65.4.  The Blue Bears also lead the league in blocked shots at 5.3 per game and are second in the conference in generating turnovers at 17.8 per game. 
 
Lincoln, who like Livingstone, was picked to finish fifth in their division, is off to a solid 8-3 start despite Saturday's 70-66 loss to nationally ranked Winston-Salem State.  The Lions led late in the game and had the defending CIAA champs on the ropes, but was unable to close the deal in the four-point loss. 
 
Lincoln still went 1-1 last week, taking down perennial Southern Division power Johnson C. Smith 75-68 on Thursday, as Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) and George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) combined for 55 points.  Sharpe continues to lead Lincoln in scoring, averaging 17.3 points a game and is one of four Lions averaging in double figures. 
 
The Lions average 70.2 points a game and shoot a league-leading 73.7 percent from the free throw line.  Defensively, Lincoln is holding teams to 64.8 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting.  Game time is 8 pm at LU's Manuel Rivero Gymnasium.
 
HOT HANDS:
Livingstone Blue Bears:
Mark Thomas, Guard, 5-10 Jr. (19.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.3 apg), Jody Hill, Guard, 6-1 Jr. (17.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 spg), Eladio Espinoza, Guard, 6-8 Sr.  (9.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.1 apg), Tyler Johnson, Forward 6-3 Sr. (8.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)
 
Lincoln Lions:
Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy), Guard, 6-3 Sr. (17.3 ppg, 2.9 apg, 4.4 rpg), George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS), Guard, 5-11 Jr. (14.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.9 spg), Will Cole (Newark, NJ/Cesar Chavez HS), Forward, 6-8 So.  (10.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS), Guard 6-0 Jr. (10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg)
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Livingstone 79, Virginia Union 76
Anthony Welch canned a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give Livingstone a 77-75 lead and Tyler Johnson nailed two clutch free throws with one second left to seal the deal as the Blue Bears held on for a 79-76 win over host Virginia Union on Saturday at Barco-Stevens Hall.  Mark Thomas scored a game-high 24 points and Welch added 17 as Livingstone improved to 10-1 and 2-0 in the CIAA.
 
#23 Winston-Salem State 70, Lincoln University 66
Lincoln had four players score in double figures but it wasn't enough as 23^rd ranked Winston-Salem State came from behind to defeat the Lions 70-66 Saturday at Lincoln's at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium.  The Lions led 64-60 with 5:14 remaining, but the Rams used a 9-0 run to take a 69-64 lead with 2:20 left in the game and held on for the win.  Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) led Lincoln with 14 points and six assists.  Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS) added 13 points, while Justin Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) pitched in with 12 points and George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) added 10 for the Lions. 
 
LAST MEETING:
In their lone meeting last season, Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy)'s 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining lifted Lincoln to a thrilling, 70-67, victory over Livingstone on January 7, 2012.  Sharpe and Justin Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) both finished with 12 points for the Lions.
 
Tip-off against the Blue Bears is at 8 p.m., at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium and to follow the action through live stats, click here.