by Malcolm Butler
Jabari Levingston scored 21 points and Trey Spann added 16 points to lead Lincoln Prep to a runaway 69-27 win over Cedar Creek Friday night at The Brickhouse.
In a game that pitted one team that has its eyes set on a possible state title against another team that is fighting for its playoff lives, the Panthers (20-3, 6-0) overcame a slow start in coasting to their seventh straight victory.
“We came out flat in the first quarter,” said Panthers head coach Antonio Hudson. “We just have to figure out how to put four quarters together. It’s been like that the entire season.
“When it’s good, it’s really good. We play hard and we defend really well. We just have to make sure we can put four quarters together, especially going into this playoff run.”
Lincoln Prep is currently ranked No. 1 in the Select School Division IV power ratings with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season.
Meanwhile, Cedar Creek (8-16, 0-4) is currently ranked No. 25 with the top 24 teams qualifying for the postseason.
The Cougars came out in a sagging zone defense, forcing Lincoln Prep to try to beat it from the perimeter. It worked, for a while.
Cameron Temple’s baseline jumper gave the Cougars a 6-5 lead three minutes into the ball game and Luke Alexander’s free throw jumper at the end of the first quarter pulled Creek to within 16-8 in a David vs. Goliath match-up.
Lincoln Prep led 18-8 with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter when all of a sudden the Panthers found their range from beyond the arc. Spann and Levingston combined to hit three three-pointers on four possessions and then another Lincoln Prep bucket gave the Panthers a 29-8 lead, forcing a timeout.
“I am old school,” said Hudson. “The game is played inside out. We have a thing where before we shoot those threes, we want to get two feet in the paint and then kick it out. If the other team backs up, that means they don’t believe you can shoot. So you are falling into their gameplan.
“We know we are aggressive going to the rim. We have some people that are capable of making some shots too, so I don’t want to take their confidence away. But they have to understand the ball has to go inside first.”
With Lincoln Prep leading 38-12 with 90 seconds to play in the second quarter, the Cougars finished the half with a flurry, scoring the final seven points thanks to a Jace Martin three-pointer and a pair of buckets by Alexander.
Temple opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, pulling Creek to within 38-22 but that’s as close as the Cougars would get.
Lincoln Prep used an 18-0 run over the next four-plus minutes to push its advantage to 56-22 as Xzaviour Combs netted seven points during the spurt. A Spann layup with 1:25 to play in the third initiated the running clock as the Panthers held the Cougars to just two points in the final quarter.
Although Hudson was happy with the win, he knows in order for the Panthers to win a state title, they have to play better.
“We have to be a better rebounding team,” said Hudson. “When we play people with size who are just as tough as we are, we struggle for 50-50 possession balls. You have to decide who really wants it and who doesn’t.”
Alexander led Creek with 14 points.
