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 With the game tied at 28 in the waning seconds of the third quarter,
as the Railers tried to set up for a last second play, a Lincoln
turnover ended up in the hands of Southeast’s Anthony Fairlee.
Dribbling his way through the Railer defense, Fairlee pulled up from
just behind the top of the key and launched a three that sailed
through the net as the buzzer sounded. The shot gave the Spartans a
31-28 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish.
Both offenses would struggle the rest of the way as the teams
combined for just one field goal in the fourth quarter. The
difference on the night was free throws, where Southeast won that
battle hitting 16 of 24 while the Railers managed just six attempts,
making five. Only four players scored for Lincoln, with Aron Hopp
(16) and Garrett Aeilts (9) combing for 25 of the Railers’ 30 points
on the night. The two seniors were the only players for Lincoln to
score in the second half.
Scoring droughts have been frequent for the Railers this season.
Thanks to early turnovers and missed shots, Lincoln found themselves
down 6-0 before finally getting on the board with 1:32 on the clock
as Hopp dropped in a layup. After another Southeast score, Bryson
Kirby pulled Lincoln within one by hitting a three pointer as time
wound down in the first. It was the first of three straight three
pointers that would eventually bring Lincoln its first lead of the
night.
Hopp started the second quarter scoring by connecting on just his
second three of the season, but it was enough to tie the game at
eight. After a free throw, Aeilts put Lincoln up for the first time
with a three, giving the Railers an 11-9 lead. The game took on the
feeling of a teeter-totter, going back and forth, with each team
going on runs. A quick four from Southeast (10-3) handed the lead
back to the Spartans at 13-11.
It would be the Railers that would head to halftime with the lead
after Hopp scored on a 17 foot pull up jumper and a driving layup
after some precise Lincoln ball movement. Sophomore Isaiah Bowers,
fresh off turning 16 on Monday, used a crafty side-step move to move
the Lincoln lead to 17-13. Bowers looked like he was headed for
picking up a charge but at the last moment, a quick hop to the side
of the defender gave him the basket and a chance for the three point
play. Bowers missed the free throw, but the Railers would hang on to
the four point lead at the half.
The second half would show just how small the margin of error is for
the Railers. Southeast stormed out of the locker room to rush out to
a 13-2 run to take a 26-19 lead. Hopp used a driving layup to put
Lincoln up 19-17, but three in a row from long range got the
Spartans their seven point lead. After mark Johnson hit a three, the
Railers failed to capitalize on a Southeast miss. As the rebound
bounced away, the Spartans tracked down the miss. The ball
eventually ended up with Treyvan Williams who hit the first of two
in a row.
[to top of second column] |
Just as the Spartans scored nine in a row, so did the Railers as the
back and forth continued. Hopp was fouled on a three and converted
all from the line. Aeilts then stepped up, showing form from long
range, to bring Lincoln within one and then give the Railers a two
point lead at 28-26. No one, including yours truly, thought that
three would be the last field goal on the night for Lincoln. From
there, the night belonged to Southeast and their performance from
the free throw line.
After Fairlee’s buzzer beater to put the Spartans in front 31-28,
things seemed to go from bad to worse. Shots were falling for
Southeast, while Lincoln was struggling just o get opportunities.
When they got the, shots were rattling out or rolling off the rim.
It was another scoring drought for Lincoln while the Spartans kept
making their way to the line.
The only scoring for Lincoln came with the Railers down 34-28. Hopp
hit a pair of free throws to pull Lincoln to just four. Southeast
then hit the gas and the Railers spent the rest of the game chasing
down the Spartans. With about three minutes to go, the contest was
only a four point game, but Southeast did their job at the line and
stretched the game out to the 16 point win.
Hopp led the way with 16 points, while Aeilts added nine. Kirby
scored three, while Bowers was held to just two points. If the
Railers are to end their struggles offensively, they will have to
find more options on a night to night basis. The schedule does not
get any easier as the Railers will hit the floor again on Friday
night against number five Springfield Lanphier, the winner of the
Pekin Holiday Tournament. Game time at Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium is
set for 7:30pm.
LINCOLN (30)
Hopp 5 5-5 16, Aeilts 3 0-0 9, Kirby 1 0-0 3, Bowers 1 0-1 2, Fry 0
0-0 0, Biggs 0 0-0 0, Hullinger 0 0-0 0. TEAM 10 5-6 30. 3pt FG 5
(Aeilts 3, Kirby, Hopp).
SOUTHEAST (46)
Williams 13, Walton 10, Fairlee 8, Johnson 7, Hughes 6, Hayes 2.
TEAM 13 16-24 46. 3pt FG 4 (Williams 2, Fairlee, Johnson).
LCHS 5-12-11-2 30
SOUTHEAST 8-5-18-15 46
[Jeff Benjamin]
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