Jefferson Beats Back Lincoln

BROOKLYN, NY - The premier rivalry in New York City was renewed once again on Thursday night as Thomas Jefferson played host to Abraham Lincoln in an unbeaten PSAL Brooklyn "AA" showdown. The game started 90 minutes after it was scheduled to because of the JV game before hand starting late, but when the main attraction got underway, it was the knockdown, slug it out contest between two top teams that you would expect.

In the end, even though Lincoln was able to fight back from a 3rd quarter 17 point deficit to briefly take the lead, Shamorie Ponds '16 was just too much as he had a triple double, finishing with 37 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds to help propel the Orange Wave past their arch-rivals from Lincoln, 98-86.

Jefferson head coach Lawrence "Bud" Pollard wasn't sure how the flow of the game at the start would be because of the delay, and the fact that he had to coach the JV team for almost the entire 2nd half after the Orange Wave coach was thrown out in the 3rd quarter, but much to his surprise, it was the perfect start for his squad who came out of the gates quick.

On three straight possessions Jefferson buried threes each time up the court with Ponds, Jaquan McKennon '15 and Isaiah Deas '16 each knocking down trifectas from long range, giving the Orange Wave a quick 10-2 lead, with Ponds saying that they were feeding off of the intensity of the crowd early on.

"There crowd was into it, our crowd was into it, and we were just trying to match the intensity," Ponds said.

They seemed to take a young Lincoln squad out of their games early on, as the Jefferson lead stayed steady, taking a 9 point lead after one, and just maintaining it throughout the 2nd quarter. The Railsplitters were able to get within 5 at 35-30 with 1:53 to go in the 2nd after Tyler Bourne '18 scored 5 straight, including connecting on Lincoln's first three of the game after Jefferson had hit on 6 early on, but the lead was quickly bounced back up Ponds scored 5 late in the quarter to give the Orange Wave a 44-33 at the half.

The 3rd quarter was where things really started to get interesting as after Ponds stole the ball at midcourt and went in for the uncontested layup with 4:04 to go in the quarter, the Orange Wave had their biggest lead of the game at 55-38. You could've counted Lincoln out at that point, but their first year head man Kenny Pretlow, who is taking over for the legendary Dwayne "Tiny" Morton, said he remained confident that his group could get back into the game.

"The fight was there," Pretlow said. "We are basically playing with two freshman and a sophomore so there are learning points, but we never held our heads down."

That confidence that Pretlow had proved to be worthwhile as after getting down 17 his young group fought back and they went on a 21-3 run over the next 3:07, culminated by a Bourne corner three that gave Lincoln their first lead of the game at 59-58 with 45 seconds to go in the quarter.

Immediately off that play though Ponds got the ball and pulled up for a three that was nothing but net, and then he smartly picked off the inbounds pass and laid that up and in, and all of a sudden, in a 6 second span, Jefferson went from down 59-58, to up 63-59, and it even Pollard could sense the huge momentum shift that sequence provided.

"They hit one to take the lead, then Shamorie comes down and knocks one in from the parking lot, and then he steals the pass and get another bucket," Pollard said explained the play. "People ask why I don't call timeout when we get down, but he loves the thrill and he loves the moment so I ride him."

It seemed like the momentum was firmly back with Jefferson. Lincoln could've rolled over after making such a massive comeback, but they didn't, and early in the 4th, Bourne, who Pretlow says is playing well beyond his years, knocked home another three to give the Railsplitters a 65-64 lead, but once again, Ponds was there, slashing his way inside and getting to the rim for the basket and the foul. It seemed like Ponds was everywhere and able to do anything he wanted, and he noted that the fans pushed him to his big game in this one.

"The crowd motivates me and they were motivating me a lot tonight," Ponds explained.

Pretlow said jokingly that the next time the two schools meet in February he might try to kidnap him, or make him be late to he came somehow, noting how much of a difference maker Ponds is.

"Best player in the city right now," Pretlow said about Ponds.

It wasn't just Ponds though. Up 86-80 with 1:25 to play in the game, the momentum looked to be possibly shifting once again. P.J. Person '18 just hit a pair of FT's and it was another critical time for Jefferson to make a play, and while Ponds missed a straightaway three, Rasheem Dunn '16 was there for the putback and the foul. It was the dagger, as that play took all the steam out of the Lincoln sail, and Pollard seemed to know that as well.

"That was the play of the game, we didn't look back after that," Pollard said.

For his part, Dunn said he was just there to follow up for Ponds, a player he calls a brother, and do whatever he could to help his team win. He did just that as he hit the big bucket that for all intensive purposes, ended this one.

Lincoln tried to hit from long range to get back into it, but they struggled, and that led to breakout points in the closing seconds for Jefferson who finished the game on a 10-3 run to take the important home league victory over their rivals from Lincoln, 98-86.

Ponds led with the triple double of 37 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds, but it wasn't just him. Dunn had 15 points, Deas had 13 points, and McKennon had a solid game running the show adding 11 points and 12 assists.

Jahlil Tripp '15 paced Lincoln with 24 points, 18 of which came in the 2nd half for the transfer from Brooklyn Collegiate, while Bourne showed he is ready to lead adding 15 points, including 3 big threes in what were clutch spots for his Railsplitters team.

Jefferson is the team that will remain unbeaten though, and Pollard said he is grateful to be able to beat Lincoln at home, something he knows he has rarely done. He added that beating Lincoln still means as much to him as ever, even though Morton isn't on the sidelines coaching against him anymore.

He called himself "The Big Dawg" after leading him Orange Wave past Lincoln in last season's PSAL City Semifinals, and while he says that may not be the case anymore, he does have a new nickname instead after taking the rivalry win for a 2nd straight time.

"I'm trying to lose some weight. By the end of the summer hopefully I will be the slim dawg," Pollard said with a laugh.

He can enjoy the win now, but knowing he has a tough task at St. Raymond in less than 48 hours means he can't enjoy it for that long, and while he may be basking in the win for now, he can't rest for long.

"It's good win but a long night, and I got laundry to do."