Lincoln College and Lincoln Christian University host A.I.I. Conference Championship Basketball
Lynx men take the top spot winning A.I.I. championship game

[March 03, 2020] 

What a night it was inside the Lincoln Center, the A.I.I. Conference Championship game between the Lincoln College Lynx and the College of the Ozarks. Two very well coached teams, two teams with outstanding players, and two teams with a desire and passion to win. A game that was ultimately won by one point, had twelve lead changes and no sign of one team ever running away with it. The Lynx trailed by three going into half time as they went on a streak of missed shots, shooting under thirty-nine percent in the first half.

A string of events with less than 30 seconds left in the contest. As the Lynx go up by 2, giving the Ozarks the opportunity to tie the game up or take the lead, the Bobcats knocked down a three-point field goal with 8 seconds left on the clock. Coach Pat Lepper calls his final timeout to draw up a play as the Lynx trail by one. The ball would end up in the hands of Montez Crumble who drove the lane and put up a floater that rolled off the back side of the cylinder right into the hands of the big man, Christian Romine who tipped it in off the glass as the time expired to give the Lynx a 72-71 victory.

The Lynx were led offensively by Darnell Latham Jr. with 23 points. Trayvon Tyler followed that up with 13 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists. Montez Crumble added 11 points, and Christian Romine had 10 points, 8 boards, and 5 blocked shots.

Darnell Latham Jr., Montez Crumble, and Christian Romine were all named to the all-tournament team, and Trayvon Tyler was named the 2019-2020 A.I.I. Tournament Most Valuable Player.

The Lynx will wait until Wednesday, when the selection show for the NAIA National Tournament airs to find out their seeding and opponent for next week in Sioux Falls, SD.

Your 2019-2020 Conference Tournament Champions, the Lincoln College Lynx!

[Ty D. Unger]