By T. Scott Boatright
ARCADIA — Lincoln Preparatory School captured its first district title since the 2023-24 season as the Panthers held on for a 48-43 win over Arcadia High School Saturday in front of a packed house inside the AHS Gym.
The back and forth contest played in an electrically raucous atmosphere saw neither team lead by more than eight points in the second half — Lincoln Prep’s 25-17 advantage to start the third quarter — to finish at 6-0 in District 1-1A, the same record the Panthers posted in 2023-24 in 2-1A district play before eventually falling to Crescent City in the Division IV Select School semifinals.
Emotions ramped up in the third quarter with a pair of plays that sent an already fired up crowd into a frenzy.
At the 4:33 mark of the third quarter, Arcadia’s Kristopher Jackson, who led all scorers with 18 points, made a thunderous two-handed dunk that cut Lincoln Prep’s lead to 28-24.
Jackson was back at it a little more than two minutes later as he launched himself into the air for a running one-handed slam dunk to tie the game at 28-28 with 2:07 left in the stanza as the crowd erupted even bigger than before.
Saturday’s game featured eight lead changes, with the last one coming with 5:06 remaining in the game when Lincoln Prep senior Zion Hicks took an inbounds pass and put the short, dead-on jumper through the nets to put the Panthers on top 39-38.
From there the Panthers moved as far in front as five points on a Trey Spann 3-pointer with 2:31 left on the clock that put Lincoln Prep on top 45-20.
The final two minutes became a game of keep away for the Panthers, who gave up multiple shot opportunities to continue passing the ball and milking the clock, trying to force Arcadia to foul.
“We’re district champions, and that’s the big thing — that was the goal,” said Panthers coach Antonio Hudson. To come on the road and get a win in this kind of environment is always a plus.
“But we make it hard sometimes. We just make it hard, and I don’t get it. I’m glad we were able to get the win. But I don’t understand why it has to be so hard after leading like we did (25-17) at halftime.”
Hudson said he was proud of the way his team played keep away in the final two minutes, trying to draw fouls and go to the free throw line.
“We get caught up in emotions sometimes, things like stats,” Hudson said. “And the only stat that matters is the win and loss column — that’s the only one. But we ended up regaining enough poise to execute and take time off the clock and just get out of here with the win.
“I always tip my hat to the other coaches and (Travious Fielding) is going to be a helluva coach. He’s young and he’s going to be one helluva coach.”
Hudson also admitted that trying to handle the 6-6, 215-pound senior Jackson as well as the Hornets’ other twin tower, 6-5, 210-pound senior Christian Jackson, was a tough task for his Panthers.
“I’m glad (Kristopher Jackson) is graduating,” Hudson said. “I can say that. (Christian Jackson) hasn’t been playing that much. I don’t know what’s going on with that. But with their size, when they’re on the court together with the way they rebound and alter shots defensively — you know, they’ve got a good chance (at a state title), too.”
In the end, it was Lincoln Prep’s Jabari Levingston who made the plays when the Panthers needed them most, hitting the second two free throws after missing his first attempt to push the lead to 46-42.
But Kristopher Jackson hit the first of his two free throw attempts on the other end to make it a one possession, three-point game at 46-43 with 16 seconds remaining.
Levingston received a long inbounds pass on their final possession, but before trying to make a pass to run out the clock spotted a wide-open Braylen Ross standing alone under the basket, so Levingston fired the pass to Braylen who bounced it off the glass through the nets as the Lincoln Prep celebration began.
“My deal is the type of shots we take,” Hudson said. “I don’t mind taking shots (like the final one), but it’s about the timing. And that was the right time and the right opportunity.”
Spann led the Panthers with 13 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two assists while Levingston added 12 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Hicks also scored in double figures with 10 points along with six rebounds and an assist.
Lincoln Prep (24-3 and the No. 1 team in Class 1A) will close out the regular season with a home game against Homer on Monday before hosting Class 5A Parkway on Friday.
“Parkway’s going to be tough being a 5A opponent,” Hudson said. “They’re playing well right now. But that’s the kind of challenge we want heading into the playoffs.”
