For the first time in school history, the Lincoln (PA) Lions are CIAA tournament champions, pulling out a 54-51 win over the Fayetteville State Broncos.
Ethan Garita was named the game’s MVP, recording 15 points, five rebounds, and three blocks.
Peter Sorber, who finished the game with nine points, six rebounds, and four blocks, was named the Tournament MVP. Sorber’s tournament run saw him average 9.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks.
Caleb Simmons was the driving force behind the Fayetteville State offense, scoring a game-high 21 points on 78% shooting from the field and grabbing six rebounds.
Tairrell Fletcher scored 10 points, while Kaleb Coleman fell short of a double-double with eight points and 12 rebounds.
Fayetteville State came out the gate aggressively from three-point range, hitting on three of their first six attempts building a 15-8 lead with 6:56 remaining in the first half.
The Broncos were also strong on the glass, out-rebounding the Lions 18-11, including a 9-4 advantage on the offensive glass.
However, as Lincoln began to settle in, they began to outpace Fayetteville State thanks to its work in the paint. They outscored the Broncos 14-6 in that department.
— Lincoln (PA) Men’s Basketball (@LUL1onsMBB) March 2, 2023
The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating defensive stops that changed the flow of the game.
Lincoln turned the game in their favor, going on a 7-0n run, capitalizing off a Fayetteville State scoring drought that spanned
Fayetteville State head coach Luke D’Alessio talked about how his team battled on the defensive end to give themselves a chance to win this game down the stretch.
“I always tell our players the one thing you can control is how hard you work. We just kept working,” he said. “We’re a defensive-minded team, and we really gave everything we had. It’s just that we missed a foul shot here and there. We missed a foul shot on a one-and-one. We just couldn’t quite get scoring opportunities just before the end. In the end, we made some great plays down the stretch to get back. A lot of people thought the game was over when we were down six points, but we kept fighting.”
In the final minute, however, Sorber made the play of the game that gave Lincoln the momentum for good.
With a minute remaining, a 50/50 ball was up for grabs and recovered by Fayetteville State. When Khalil Ridges went up for a layup, Sorber got in position to get the block. Had FSU made that shot, it would have turned it into a one-possession game.
Coach Jason Armstrong talked about the impact that play had on the Lions and the impact Sorber’s shot blocking, in general, has had on the team.
“I think that was the biggest block. That was a huge block that Peter [had], and we got the ball back right after that block,” he said. “I think that could have easily changed that game. It could have turned it another direction. His shot-blocking this whole week has been tremendous for us. When Peter is Peter, I say to him, ‘He is the most dominant big man in this conference.’ When he comes to play, he’s one bad [expletive].”
That block had a huge ripple effect as the Lions would close the game out at the free throw line, securing their first CIAA tournament title in the process.
In addition to winning its first-ever CIAA tourney, Lincoln also prevented Fayetteville State from completing a CIAA championship sweep after the Broncos women defeated Elizabeth City State earlier in the day to capture the conference crown.
