By T. Scott Boatright
Three wins in three days.
Sometimes a high school basketball season can be like trying to battle through a juggernaut.
That’s what the Lincoln Preparatory School Panthers faced last week — three crucial showdowns over a 72-hour period.
But the Panthers roared to wins in all three games, capping things off with a 64-60 road win at St. Frederick on Thursday that kept Lincoln Prep undefeated in District 2-1A play at 4-0.
That win came after the Panthers earned a 66-53 home win over Homer on Thursday after defeating Ouachita Christian on Tuesday inside the LPS Gym.
The three-day gauntlet wasn’t originally planned.
“St. Frederick called maybe three weeks ago saying they had some kind of program set for (Friday night), so we went ahead and rescheduled it,” said Lincoln Prep coach Antonio Hudson about Friday’s contest. “That was before all the ice and weather and all of that, so we agreed to the change.”
Hudson admitted three wins in three days wasn’t easy. Early on it looked like his Panthers might have been just plain worn out against St, Frederick,
The Warriors led 17-13 at the end of the opening stanza and pushed their lead to 37-26 at halftime.
“We were down but fought back,” Hudson said. “We were obviously tired, but I’m so proud because at the end of the day we found a way to win. I told my kids they have to be able to handle adversity at times. We didn’t play our best game. St. Fred had a kid who shot the light out.
“So hat’s off to them and their game plan. But to be able to pull that one out after being down 16 in the third quarter, that’s a positive even in a negative. We got the win. That’s all that counts in the end.
It was outscoring the Warriors 38-23 after intermission that flipped the switch to a win for the Panthers.
“I can;t say enough about the way my guys keep fighting when it matters,” Hudson said. “They’re not perfect, but neither am I. Who is? They kept on fighting, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Stephen Burks III double-doubled for the Panthers with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Amarje Young added 15 points and Trey Spann hit for 10.
Point guard Trumarion Smith also played a key role for the Panthers, dishing off 11 assists.
Next on tap for Lincoln Prep (14-7 overall, 4-0 in District 2-1A) is a game at Cedar Creek on Tuesday.
