Southeast executes Fairlee well in win over Railers   SOUTHEAST 54, LINCOLN 42

[February 25, 2017]  Friday night was not your normal game at Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium. Along with all the hoopla surrounding Senior Night, the game marked the final regular season contest the Lincoln Railers would play in the Central State Eight, a conference that they were a charter member of since the 1993-1994. Beginning next season, the Railers will be members of the Apollo Conference so a win would be a nice way to close out a very successful run in the CS8. Alas, the script writers got this one wrong as the Railers fell to Southeast 54-42.

Southeast sophomore Anthony Fairlee, who scored 18 in the previous meeting this season, hit for a game high 24 points, most from not farther out than five feet. The Lincoln defense did the job on the Spartans’ two leading scorers, Isaiah Walton and Trevyon Williams. The duo, averaging almost 25 points a game coming into Friday night, was held to just seven points. But it was the dominance of Fairlee down low that proved to be the downfall for the Railers.

“I thought Southeast executed very well,” Lincoln coach Neil Alexander said after his team fell to 18-12. “They have another gear and I don’t think we responded very well at all to that gear.”

In a game of runs, both teams had their moments in the spotlight. In the end, the Spartans had more runs that caused more damage leading to the twelve point victory. After Lincoln took its last lead of the game early in the third, it was a 27-9 run from Southeast that finally did in the home team.

Before the game, after all the seniors from the pep band, cheerleading squad, dance team, and basketball team were acknowledged, Southeast coach Lawrence Thomas, his coaching staff, and the entire varsity team met with Coach Alexander near half court. The Spartans presented a plaque to Alexander in recognition for the influence during Lincoln’s tenure in the Central State Eight. After the presentation, Alexander had a hug or a handshake for each member of the Southeast contingent on the floor. No matter what has transpired on the court as conference rivals, it was plain and simply a class act from the Spartans. Some of the conference schools have taken time during a Lincoln visit to pay tribute to their final season in the conference, but no one matched the respect and honor shown by Southeast.

Once the game started, however, all the niceties were reserved for the plaque. The Railers took their first of only two leads on the evening when Ben Grunder scored on a pick and roll off a pass from Isaiah Bowers. A three from Mark Johnson and drive from Fairlee gave the visitors an early four point lead. Titus Cannon found an opening in the Southeast defense and dropped a left hand layup to pull Lincoln with three at 7-4. After another lay-in by Fairlee, a pass from Cannon to a wide open Drew Bacon was followed by a drive from Bowers and Lincoln had pulled within one at 9-8.

Southeast began an 8-0 run as the quarter came to a close when Fairlee scored on a dunk. After a free throw, junior Kobe Medley stretched the run by hitting a three pointer and then two of three free throws after being fouled behind the arc. The lead had grown to nine at 17-8. The pendulum then swung back to the Railers. A conventional three point play from Grunder preceded another driving layup from Cannon. Bowers stepped to the line for a pair of free throws to cut the game to 17-15. After a block from Bacon, the Railers worked down court to find an open Grunder to knot the game at 17.

Unfortunately, for most of the night, the Railers and their runs were unable to overtake Southeast. Most of their scoring pushes were in response and Lincoln was playing catchup. Fairlee added to his point total with another basket and a Southeast free throw put the lead back to three. It seemed all night that just as the Railers were about to get back in the game, a missed layup or turnover would give momentum back to Southeast. As the Railers were looking to tie the game, a mishandled pass that was saved inbounds ended up in any easy possession for Southeast. When Johnson scored, a game that could have been tied was now a 22-17 lead for the Spartans (19-7).

Lincoln did close the first half on a good note. Bowers hit two more free throws and as Southeast tried to run the clock out, a steal from Cannon resulted in a driving finger roll layup by Bowers, cutting the halftime deficit to just one at 22-21. During the first meeting, turnovers were the story. In the first sixteen minutes, Lincoln did as well as possible, committing only two turnovers against a team that thrives on teams when they are wounding themselves. Also, the Railers were down just one point without use of a key component of the offense, the three point shot. Lincoln missed their six shots from behind the arc, something most likely in the Southeast game plan.

“We got zero good looks from the perimeter tonight,” Alexander said. In close games like this one, the first two to three minutes of the second half can go a long way in telling the tale of the game. Southeast owned the possession to start the third and basically dared Lincoln to stop what they had failed to do in the first half. Ball in play, two passes later, a shot off the glass by Fairlee. Five seconds in, Southeast now up three.

Lincoln’s last glimpse at the lead came on the next two trips into the Railer frontcourt. A three from Bowers tied the game at 24 and after a Southeast miscue, a shot from Grunder gave Lincoln a 26-24 advantage. It would be their last of the night. A three pointer from sophomore Terrion Murdix started the run that would decide this game. At times, the Railers struggled with the Southeast pressure, and the Spartans pounced at just the right times. A steal by Williams resulted in a breakaway layup and a three point lead. It was his first basket of the night and a portent of things to come.

“The extra gear they have, I think we were too soft,” Alexander said. “You can’t make the passes we did and expect them to not capitalize.”

After another Lincoln miss, Southeast finally missed, only to have Fairlee convert on a left handed tip. The run was halted for a moment when Bacon scored on a nice fade away in the lane after a strong post move. The Lincoln deficit was now at 31-28. However, in similar fashion to the first part of the run, a three from Murdix was followed by a steal in the backcourt and easy layup, this time from Johnson. Another drive from Williams and free throw from Walton had suddenly boosted the lead to 39-28. Again Southeast tried to work the clock, but Cannon came away with a steal and layup to bring Lincoln within nine heading into the fourth quarter.

The final quarter of the regular season started with Medley and Bowers trading three pointers, something Lincoln could not afford to do trailing by double figures. Again, it was Fairlee doing the damage before Grunder scored to pull the Railers within single digits for the final time on the night. A final 7-0 run, two baskets from Fairlee and a layup by Williams sealed the game away for Southeast as the margin grew to 51-35. The Railers closed out their scoring on free throws from Cannon and baskets from Grunder and Zach Morris.

Lincoln was led by Bowers with 16 points with Grunder joining him in double figures with 11. Cannon added nine points with Bacon scoring four and Morris rounding out the scoring with two. It sure doesn’t feel right that the two Lincoln seniors, Bryson Kirby and Nolan Hullinger, were held scoreless on their senior night.

The standings for the Central State Eight finished this way: Lanphier 16-2, Southeast 15-3, Eisenhower 13-5, LINCOLN 12-6, MacArthur 11-7, Jacksonville 9-9, Glenwood 4-14, SHG 4-14, Rochester 3-15, Springfield 3-15.

So now it is on to the postseason. Lincoln will play on Wednesday night at Lanphier in Springfield. Their opponent is Jacksonville, a team Lincoln split with during the regular season. The Railers won at Jacksonville 43-34 on December 9th, but fell on a last second shot by Brady Hays on January 20 by a 49-47 score. Game time is set for 7:00pm and the winner will more than likely advance to the regional championship on Friday against Lanphier.

But, first things first. We hope to see all of Railer Nation at Lanphier on Wednesday night.

LINCOLN (42)

Bowers 5 4-4 16, Grunder 5 1-1 11, Cannon 3 3-4 9, Bacon 2 0-0 4, Morris 1 0-0 2, Kirby 0 0-0 0, Hullinger 0 0-0 0, Sloan 0 0-0 0, Holliday 0 0-0 0, Combs 0 0-0 0, Birnbaum 0 0-0 , Dewberry 0 0-0 0. TEAM 16 8-9 42. 3pt FG 2 (Bowers 2).

SOUTHEAST (54)

Fairlee 24, Johnson 8, Medley 8, Murdix 7, Williams 6, Walton 1. TEAM 20 9-17 54. 3pt FG 5 (Murdix 2, Medley 2, Johnson).

LCHS 8-13-9-12 42
SOUTHEAST 11-11-17-15 54