Smothering defense, rekindled offense propel Railers to 62-17 win over Mahomet-Seymour

 

[December 16, 2023]  Lincoln – The LCHS basketball team continued its relentless defensive prowess while hitting its stride offensively, outscoring Mahomet-Seymour 20-2 in the opening quarter en route to a 62-17 win.

The Railers concluded their December 9 game at East Peoria by shutting out the host school in the fourth quarter. East Peoria scored its last points of the game with 2:10 remaining in the third period.

Against Mahomet-Seymour, Lincoln picked up where it left off, keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until 2:10 remained in the opening quarter.

Altogether, the Railer defense went over 17 minutes without giving up any points. In effect, Lincoln did not allow a point for more than half a basketball game.

Head Coach Neil Alexander

“We just played exceptionally well,” Lincoln head coach Neil Alexander said. “We shot it well. We were all over the court. We played really well on both sides.

“We’ve been trying to get them to play consistently possession after possession after possession; tonight was a good start.”

The Railers used a variety of scoring methods in racing out to their early lead. Trey Schilling hit a jumper from the left wing on Lincoln’s first possession to give LCHS a 2-0 lead. Ki’on Carson snared a tipped pass, raced down court to find a cutting Gabe Smith, who hit the layup to double Lincoln’s advantage. Drew Hayes passed to Smith under the basket; Smith hit Schilling in the left corner for a three pointer to put Lincoln up 7-0. A few possessions later, Hayes found Smith under the basket for a layup, then Karson Komnick hit a three pointer to give Lincoln a double-digit lead at 12-0, and the rout was on.

Trey Schilling

Schilling led all scorers with 12 points, Komnick added 9, Aidan Gowin contributed 8 and Brady Miller chipped in with 7 for the Railers.

Despite only scoring 2 points, Hayes may have had his best all-around game of the season for LCHS. The 6-foot-5 junior led all players with 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists and a blocked shot.

Drew Hayes

“Hayes was amazing,” Alexander said. “He made every play that was out there for him.”

The Railers shot 59.3 percent from the field in the first half, including 3 of 11 on three pointers (27.3 percent). For the game, Lincoln hit 26 of 48 field goals (54.2 percent).

The lopsided Railer victory spoiled a homecoming of sorts for Mahomet-Seymour head coach Adam Schonauer. The Bulldogs’ head coach is an alumnus of Lincoln Community High School and played for Alexander. Alexander said after the game it marked the first time he has coached against a former player.

“I was nervous,” Alexander said. “I was really, really nervous.”

Does the 62-point outburst mean the Railers’ offensive woes are a thing of the past?

“One game is not turning the corner,” Alexander said. “We’ve got to find some consistency. We’ve got to do it again tomorrow night. If you want to be a good team, you’ve got to do it every night.”

The win is Lincoln’s second in a row and moves the Railers’ season record to 6-3. Lincoln has won five of its last six games.

Lincoln travels to face conference foe Rochester on December 16 at 7 PM. The final Railer game before the Collinsville Holiday Tournament is scheduled for December 22 when Lincoln hosts Washington.

Box Score

[Loyd Kirby]