RAILERS FALL TO QUINCY, TAKE 4TH AT COLLINSVILLE

[December 31, 2015]  For the second game in a row, the Lincoln Railers were out of the game early as Quincy throttled Lincoln 57-38 behind the record setting performance of senior Jacob Jobe. Jobe scored a game high 33 points, including a tournament record 10 three pointers. The treys broke the mark previously held by Lincoln’s Jordan Nelson from 2009. It was not a praise worthy effort from the Railers.

“As proud of these kids as I was yesterday, I am that disappointed and more tonight,” Lincoln coach Neil Alexander said. “It’s not that we lost, but it’s the way we played. We just did not come to play tonight.”

Things got off to a good start for the Railers when Garrett Aeilts connected for a three pointer to give Lincoln the only lead they would have for the night. The lead was something rare for Lincoln over the past two games, holding the lead a combined 1:00 over that span. Quincy answered back with a three of their own and it was downhill from there.

After scoring seven in a row to take a 7-3, things got worse for the Railers. In the post game interview, Coach Alexander said “there was not hop in our step.” Well, for much of the first half, there was no Hopp in the lineup. With 1:47 to go in the first quarter, senior and leading scorer Aron Hopp picked up his third foul and was relegated to the bench for the rest of the half. During that time, Jobe caught fire hitting three in a row from behind the three point line. After Garrett Gadeke scored on a putback, the Blue Devils had exploded out to an 18-3 lead in the second quarter.

Lincoln finally ended their scoring drought at the 3:47 mark of the second quarter when Isaiah Bowers scored on a layup. The sophomore continued his strong play over the final two days of the tournament by sinking a pair of free throws to pull Lincoln within 18-7. Two more threes from Jobe were sandwiched around a three from KJ Fry, putting Quincy ahead 24-10. It was no surprise what Jobe was capable of, but there was frustration in not making it more difficult.

“#31 was all over our board, knowing he was a shooter,” Alexander said. “But every time he shot, it was catch and shoot. We made it easy on him.”

Bowers tried his best to keep the Railers (9-4) in the game by hitting a three from just past the top of the key as the first half horn sounded, pulling Lincoln within striking distance at 24-13. So, it’s halftime. You have shot just 24 percent while allowing your opponent to hit 53 percent, including 60 percent from three point range. You are getting outrebounded 14-7, and your leading scorer has three fouls, has played only six minutes and taken one shot. Things can get better, right? The three at the buzzer will be the key to mounting a comeback, correct?

Well, those thoughts lasted all of 16 seconds into the third quarter. That’s when Hopp tried to cut off the baseline defensively and was whistled for his fourth foul. As Hopp left the floor, there was a quiet foreboding amongst the gathering of Railer Nation that hopes for another stirring comeback might have just gone to the bench. A 7-3 run to start the quarter, featuring yet another three from Jobe, put Quincy in front 31-16. Lincoln did get a three from Bryson Kirby, but at the 5:34 mark, it was do or die with Hopp and he was reinserted into the game, four fouls or not.

After Drew Bacon made a pair from the line, Quincy scored another nine in a row to build a commanding 40-18 advantage. It was truly one of those nights where nothing seemed to go right. Bowers scored Lincoln’s next six points, three on a long three and a conventional three point play, but that only brought the Railers to within 43-24.

Starting the fourth quarter down 47-24, there were only two questions. What would be the final margin and would Jobe get the single game record? Kirby hit his second three of the night only to watch Jobe connect again from long range. Hopp finally got on the board to make it 50-29 with Quincy well on their way to the third place trophy. With 1:30 to go in the game, Jobe finally put his name in the record books by hitting his tenth three of the night. On the night, Jobe destroyed the Railers, shooting 11 of 16 including 10 of 13 from three point range to finish with 33 points. As the final moments ticked away, Lincoln got baskets from Alex O’Donoghue, Bowers, and a three pointer from Nolan Hullinger to put the final at 57-38.

Not the way anyone wanted the night to end. “When you play a game like this, I think it all comes down to being mentally prepared,” Alexander said. “I am a firm believer in coming to play and being mentally ready. With shooters like we have, when we shoot like this (13 of 34 for the game and 7 for 21 from three point range), it starts with not being mentally ready.” The defensive performance over the final two games certainly took its toll statistically on the Railers. Believe it or not, for the tournament, the Railers finished dead last in both field goal defense percentage and three point field goal defense percentage.

Bowers led the Railers with 15 points, with Kirby adding six points. Hopp, in limited play, scored just four, while Aeilts, KJ Fry, and Hullinger chipped in with three. Bacon and O’Donoghue each scored a pair.

The Railers do bring home a trophy, but it is fourth place. At the start of the season, if you would have said Lincoln would bring home a trophy from Collinsville, I think a lot of Railers fans would have taken that. With the comeback performance to beat East St. Louis on Tuesday, there was a glimmer that the Railers could be playing for a three peat. However, the tournament did end on a sour note, losing the last two games by an average of 20.5 points. One bright spot for the evening was Isaiah Bowers being the lone Railer named to the all-tournament team.

After the calendar turns to 2016, there is no rest for the weary as Lincoln gets back into conference play next week taking on Southeast and Lanphier. No one said this season would be easy and next week is a testament to that. Railers tip on Tuesday at 730pm at Southeast High School. Hope to see a strong contingent of Railer Nation at Scheffler Gymnasium.

Happy New Year!!

LINCOLN (38)

Bowers 5-11 3-3 15, Kirby 2-4 0-0 6, Hopp 2-6 0-0 4, Aeilts 1-6 0-0 3, Fry 1-4 0-0 3, Hullinger 1-1 0-0 3, Bacon 0-1 2-2 2, O’Donoghue 1-1 0-0 2, Biggs 0-0 0-0 0. TEAM 13-34 5-5 38. 3pt FG 7-21 (Bowers 2-4, Kirby 2-4, Hullinger 1-1, Fry 1-4, Aeilts 1-6, Hopp 0-1, Bacon 0-1). Rebounds 11, Assists 7, Turnovers 7.

QUINCY (57)

Jobe 33, Shoot 6, Dade 5, Bland 5, Gadeke 4, Car.Gay 2, Cam.Gay 2. TEAM 20-35 4-6 57. 3pt FG 13 (Jobe 10, Shoot 2, Dade). Rebounds 26, Assists 17, Turnovers 11.

LCHS 3-10-11-14 38
QUINCY 13-11-23-10 57

[Jeff Benjamin]