JAMAICA, NY - Lincoln Coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton talked about how you can't judge a team just by watching them play.
You won't truly know how a team operates until you get on the court and actually play them. Morton and the Lincoln Railsplitters found out that Curtis was truly a test for a team that routinely makes it out of the PSAL quarterfinals.
The game came down to the last few second before the winner was decided. Isaiah Whitehead scored a game high 19 points to help Lincoln advance to the semifinals next weekend. Lincoln held off Curtis 60-57 because of clutch free throw shooting, none bigger than two made by Whitehead with 7.0 seconds left on the clock.
Curtis came out on fire, jumping out to a 24-15 lead midway through the second quarter. Lincoln fought their way back into the game with an 11-0 run. Whitehead scored 6 of those points, finishing a fast break for one field goal and knocking down a jumper from the top of the key for another field goal. Lincoln was able to carry a 29-27 lead into halftime.
They Railsplitters fell behind by six points in late in the third quarter after senior guard Dashawn RichmondShaquille Davis (12 points) ended the third with a lay-up and Lincoln led 45-44 after three periods.
The game remained close in the last period but Curtis never took advantage of Lincoln's mistakes. Two times in the last 2:30 minutes, Lincoln went to the free throw line and bricked both freebies. Both happened when the game was tied at 54.
Whitehead suffered a severe ankle injury when they played Boys & Girls during the regular season. He had to sit out a few games but has been on the court for a couple of games now. He looked like he wasn't able to drive by his man when he had the ball, but he played as hard as he could.
When told how many points Whitehead had finished with, Morton seemed genuinely surprised. He says he expects a lot from the sophomore guard and constantly pushes him.
"Wow" Morton said after the game. "Maybe I am too hard on him."
Dontay Jackson and Debonir Edwards each led Curtis with 12 points.
Lincoln will play Boys High at St. John's next Saturday.
Wings Tops Cardozo 56-46
Wings and Cardozo were tied at 21 at halftime, but after the break Wings took control of the game and ran away with the victory. Marvilio Berroa hit big shots for Wings, scoring 20 points to lead both teams. His teammate, junior guard Jaequon Brown added 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Ryan Yearwood and Edwin Sainvil each scored 11 points for Cardozo. Wings will play Jefferson next week in the PSAL semifinal round.
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