2 Lincoln Dethrones 1 Jefferson

CONEY ISLAND, NY - The last game of the season is always better when an outright league title is on the line. This was the case in Coney Island Friday evening. Jefferson got on the bus and made the trip to Lincoln, carrying with them the best record in Brooklyn AA.

NYCHoops.net #1 ranked Jefferson was undefeated in league play with a 13-0 record. #2 ranked Lincoln wasn't too shabby with a 12-1 record themselves. Jefferson came in unblemished, but when it was time to get back on the bus, they were no longer perfect.

Lincoln fought back from an early deficit and after taking the lead they made enough plays at the end to hold off a fierce comeback attempt by Jefferson. Great rebounding by Lincoln's front court and clutch free throw shooting from sophomore Donald Canon-Flores late preserved an exciting 82-77 win for the home team.

The first quarter was full of energy from the tip. Junior guard Shamorie Ponds scored the first 5 points of the game for Jefferson to get things started. Lincoln fought back and midway through the period the game was tied at 11. Jefferson scored the next 9 points, capped by a three pointer off the glass from Ponds. The score was 20-11 and it looked like the Orange Wave were going to take control of the game, but Lincoln fought back and answered with 6 straight points to make it 20-17.

Junior guard Rasheem Dunn opened up the second period by hitting a corner three. Dunn continued helping Jefferson extend their lead when he drove baseline for a lay-up. The mini solo scoring binge ended when Dunn (21 points) hit another three pointer to give his team a 28-17 lead. That was when Lincoln answered the bell once again, this time behind the outstanding efforts of seniors Jahlil Tripp and forward Gregory Poleon. Those two dominated the boards the rest of 2nd quarter.

Poleon dominated inside, grabbing rebounds and also finishing inside when his teammates penetrated and found him waiting in the paint for a pass. They were the top two scorers for Lincoln. Tripp led the team with 21 points, while Poleon had 19. They scored the next 20 points of the first half for Lincoln.

Ponds had scored on a put back and Jefferson was trying to inbound the ball when it was stolen by freshman Paul Person Jr. with 4.1 seconds left in the half. Person drove the ball all the way to the rim and scored at the buzzer to give Lincoln a 44-39 lead. But then something bizarre happened in the gym. Jefferson left the floor because they thought that the half was over. In actuality, Person (11 points) was fouled with .2 seconds on the clock. The referees had to call Jefferson back to the court so they could end the half. Five Jefferson players, not necessarily the ones that were actually in the game, came walking back into the gym so Person could take the free throw. Person hit it and Lincoln held a 45-39 lead at halftime.

That seemed to be all the momentum the Railsplitters needed to come out and start the second half. Lincoln continued to make key plays the rest of the way and they went on to win the game.

The atmosphere was great for a rivalry game. The crowd was energetic and cheered every made basket by the Railsplitters. Subsequently, they barely made a peep when Jefferson made shots. Of course the crowd went home happy after Lincoln held serve at home.

The game also flowed quickly and the refs let the kids play. It was a physical game, but Lincoln rode the emotion of the home team and the experience of their loss to Jefferson earlier in the season.

Jefferson's Jaquan McKennon had a game high 22 points, while Ponds had 19.

The borough championships start on Tuesday. Lincoln will play South Shore on Tuesday, while Jefferson tips off against Harry Van Arsdale.