For the second year in a row, the Lincoln (PA) will play for a CIAA championship after securing a 58-52 win in the semifinals over the Claflin Panthers.
Reggie Hudson finished with a team-high 12 points for the Lions, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Freddie Young Jr. followed closely behind, scoring 11 points.
Lincoln took advantage of a rough shooting performance from Claflin in the first half, building a double-digit lead in the game’s first 10 minutes that would grow to as many as 17 points.
The Panthers shot a horrid 27% from the field compared to a Lions team that shot 42%. However, some defensive stops down the stretch helped keep Claflin within striking distance entering the second half.
Claflin head coach Brion Dunlap talked about his team’s competitive nature to never give up despite falling behind early.
“We play to the whistle. I love football, so that’s what I coach; it’s what I always say :play to the whistle. Coach Jenkins teaches the [women’s team] to: never give up. Just keep fighting to the end and keep plugging away. The game’s a one-possession game. Win the possession and try to do that more times than the other team.”
Slowly but surely, the Panthers began to make a run on the second half’s back end, trimming their deficit to single digits with 7:39 remaining.
Leaning on their defensive press to force stops, the Panthers eventually tied the game 52-52 as it entered the final two minutes.
Faced with adversity, Lincoln held its composure, making free throws down the stretch while Claflin missed two critical free throws, spelling the end for the Panthers’ championship hopes.
The Lions will now head back to the championship game looking to finish the job they fell short of last season. In that game, Lincoln fell 62-57, nearly overcoming a double-digit deficit in the second half.
Lincoln head coach Jason Armstrong discussed how last year’s CIAA title loss impacted them pushing through Claflin’s late rally.
“They learned a lot from losing last year, and it’s the will to win. Knowing to stay calm and stay poised. The guys told me on the bench, ‘Coach, we are good, we are good, stay poised, stay poised.’ That’s why I didn’t yell and go wild in the last two minutes: I believe in this team. I believe in this team, everybody I put on the floor, even the guys that didn’t play.”
Lincoln comes into this game confident, with coach Armstrong proclaiming, “We are not here to walk away with the second-place trophy this year. That is not why we’re here; we are here to win the championship.”
The Lions will await the winner of the semifinal matchup between Fayetteville State and Virginia Union.
