Carson's late free throws carry Railers to dramatic 55-54 victory; pin Lanphier with inaugural-game loss in new gymnasium

 

[January 13, 2024]  Springfield – Lincoln senior Ki’on Carson hit two free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining to retake the lead in a wild finish to give the Railers a 55-54 victory over Lanphier.

While there have been some classic contests in the storied boys basketball rivalry between Lincoln Community High School and Lanphier High School, the game full of twists and turns played on December 12, 2024 will certainly be mentioned among the best if not the top clash between the rivals.

It was Lanphier’s first varsity game in its new gymnasium.

It was Lincoln’s first game against the Lions since the Railers rejoined the Central State 8 Conference.

Gabe Smith

The exciting conclusion to the contest was a fitting end to a game featuring nine lead changes and nine tie scores. Lanphier led 51-49 when Gabe Smith hit a layup in traffic on a drive along the right baseline to tie the score 51-51 with 1:40 remaining.

Following a Railer timeout, Lanphier coach Blake Turner elected to stall and take time off the clock. The Lions chewed up nearly a minute before Lanphier’s Soriano Hayes had a shot blocked by Railer Drew Hayes with 45 seconds remaining. Lanphier’s Hayes recovered the ball but was called for traveling to give Lincoln possession.

Drew Hayes

The Railers advanced the ball past midcourt before taking a timeout with 19 seconds remaining. After inbounding the ball, Drew Hayes made a nice bounce pass to Smith on a back door cut. Smith was fouled attempting a layup and hit both free throws with 10 seconds remaining to put the Railers up 53-51.

Lanphier advanced the ball to the frontcourt before taking a time out with 5.9 seconds remaining. The Lions ran a play to free up long-distance shooter JaiQuan Holman, who received a pass from Shaun Hatchett, Jr. and drained a long 3-pointer to give Lanphier a 54-53 lead.

The home fans erupted as Lincoln tried to signal for a timeout, but the buzzer sounded and a few members of the Lanphier team as well as fans began storming the court. The officials conferred and put 1.4 seconds back on the clock, but the Railer coaching staff pleaded its case that more time remained. After another discussion, the referees decided 2.3 seconds remained.

Drew Hayes made the inbounds pass to Carson, who raced up the right sideline. Carson was fouled with 0.2 seconds remaining just as he crossed midcourt and heaved the ball toward the basket. The official who called the foul ruled that Carson was in the act of shooting, so the Lincoln senior was awarded three free throws. Carson knocked down the first two to give the Railers a 55-54 lead. His third free throw rolled off the left side of the rim, but with only 0.2 seconds remaining, the final buzzer sounded just after Lanphier’s Romel Kirkwood collected the rebound, and Lincoln escaped with a 55-54 victory.

Ki'on Carson

Coach Neil Alexander

“I thought our kids executed at the tail end,” Lincoln head coach Neil Alexander said. “It’s heartbreaking for either team to lose that game, because it was just back and forth in the fourth quarter. But our kids hung tight and did what they had to do to win.”

The Railers improved shooting continued as Lincoln hit 58.8 percent (20 of 34) of its field goal attempts, including 4 of 11 (36.4 percent) on 3 pointers. Lincoln also made 10 of 11 free throws in the second half, with the lone miss being Carson’s final attempt with 0.2 seconds remaining. An Achilles heel earlier in the season for Lincoln, the Railers made 11 of 13 free throw attempts (84.6 percent) in the game.

Lincoln had four players reach in double figures in scoring, with Carson leading the way with 14 points. Drew Hayes scored 13, Smith tallied 12 and Trey Schilling added 11 for Lincoln.

Trey Schilling

Lanphier was led by long-range shooter Holman, who led all scorers with 23 points. The 5-foot-11 junior hit 5 of 9 3
pointers, many from well beyond the arc and near the volleyball line. Hatchett added 12 for the Lincolns, and Lanphier’s Soriano Hayes became the answer to a trivia question when he scored the first points ever in a varsity contest held in the new Lober-Nika Gymnasium.

“It’s not all done, but it’s going to be a fantastic place for them,” Alexander said of the facility. “It got loud in here. It’s a gorgeous place.”

With the victory, Lincoln improves to 13-5 overall on the season and 6-1 in the Central State 8 Conference.

The Railers return home on January 13 to host a non-conference game against the state-ranked Quincy Blue Devils, runners-up of the Collinsville holiday tournament. The start time for the varsity game has been changed from its original time and has been moved up to 6:30 PM.

[Loyd Kirby]