LCHS gets back on winning track, knocks off East Peoria 54-48

 

[December 16, 2024]  LCHS gets back on winning track, knocks off East Peoria 54-48

LINCOLN – If the early results are any indication, LCHS boys basketball coach Neil Alexander and his squad may be in for a rollercoaster season.

The Railers reeled off five straight victories after losing their initial game of the year. That winning streak was snapped Friday night when Jacksonville beat the Railers 55-46.

The perplexing part about it has been waiting for the team’s identity to reveal itself on a consistent basis. On any given night, the Railers might appear a bit lethargic for a stretch, then play like gangbusters the remainder of the game. One night, the team may struggle from the free throw line; on another, the squad’s shooting is frigid.

On the other side of the issue, a benefit to such a trend is that the Railers often get a boost from an unexpected source. Such was the case Saturday when Blake Horn scored 20 points for Lincoln as LCHS knocked off previously-undefeated East Peoria, 54-48, in a non-conference contest.

East Peoria jumped out to a 15-14 lead after one quarter, but Lincoln outscored the Raiders 17-8 in the second period to hold a 31-23 lead at intermission.

Gabe Smith

Railer Gabe Smith hit a field goal to open the third quarter scoring and give Lincoln a double-digit advantage at 33-23. But East Peoria came back, outscoring Lincoln 9-3 over the next five-plus minutes to pull to within 36-32. The Railers got a basket from Brady Miller and four points by Blake Horn before the end of the quarter to stretch the Lincoln lead to 42-32.

East Peoria got a field goal, a three pointer and a free throw in the first two minutes of the final quarter to inch closer at 42-38. Smith sank a pair of free throws to extend the margin to 44-38, but East Peoria notched five unanswered points to make it a one-point game at 44-43.

The Railers then went on their own run, tallying eight consecutive points including 6-of-8 foul shooting to push the Lincoln lead to 52-43 with 18 seconds remaining in the game. Lincoln held off a late East Peoria surge and recorded a 54-48 win.

Blake Horn

Horn led all scorers with 20 points. The 6-foot-3 senior hit 7 of 11 total shots from the field Saturday, including 2 of 4 three-pointers. He also sank 4 of 5 free throws for the Railers.

Other leading scorers for Lincoln included Brody Tungate with 12 points and Gabe Smith with 10 points.
 

Cole DeBois led East Peoria with 19 points.

The Railers are back in action Friday when travel to Mahomet-Seymour for a non-conference game. Then Lincoln is home on Saturday for a Central State 8 matchup against Rochester. Both games begin at 7 PM.

[Loyd Kirby]