Lincoln’s fourth straight league victory left the Railsplitters pleased, but not elated.
There were faint smiles after their 55-52 home win over Transit Tech that kept them tied with Boys & Girls atop Brooklyn AA on Wednesday, but shrugs of the shoulders were mixed in. While the Coney Island school isn’t about to throw back any of its recent success, it hasn’t been in its usual dominant fashion.
Lincoln beat Robeson by 10 on Tuesday, but trailed by a point entering the fourth quarter. And in a 15-point in over two-win Canarsie, it was behind by four at halftime.
“These victories can easily be losses,” Lincoln coach Dwayne (Tiny) Morton said. “I’m not happy to be close with those teams. … The kids play hard, but they don’t play smart sometimes.”
Shaquille Stokes led Lincoln (13-6, 10-2 Brooklyn AA) with 17 points, Kamari Murphy had 12 points and 14 rebounds and Raymond O’Loughlin had nine. Rhamel Brown paced Transit Tech (13-6, 7-5) with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots and Deylon Bovell and Barry Posey had 13 points apiece.
The Railsplitters have failed to put opponents away, either by carelessly turning the ball over, missing free throws or allowing too many easy opportunities for the opposition.
Those were all on display in the win over Transit Tech. Lincoln raced out to a 20-11 lead, yet was ahead by just 23-19 at halftime. Once the Express went ahead, 28-27, early in the third quarter on a Posey 3-pointer, the Railsplitters kicked it into gear with a 9-3 run and had control, 41-35, entering the final quarter. Stokes, sensing the momentum shifting, scored nine points in the stanza.
“I had to raise my game up,” the high-scoring junior guard said.
That stretch didn’t last, however, as the game was in the balance down the stretch, Lincoln’s lead ranging from three to seven points. If the Express had executed better themselves, the result could’ve been different. Led by Brown, the dynamic shot-blocking forward, Transit Tech hung around. On one possession, he blocked the 6-foot-8 Murphy three times.
Coach Mike Perazzo’s club had plenty of chances in the fourth quarter. Twice, Bovell had a chance to get them closer than three, but missed a point-blank layup and a 3-pointer. Point guard Anthony Prescott turned the ball over four times in the final quarter and the Express missed three crucial free throws in the final few minutes.
“We competed, but we needed to make plays down the stretch, and we didn’t come up with those plays,” Perazzo said. “It’s always frustrating to lose a close game, but we didn’t make a lot of shots. We got some open look and we didn’t make them.”
Because Stokes and O’Loughlin each missed a free throw in the final 40 seconds, Transit Tech had a chance to tie, but Shaquille Paugh rushed a spinning 3-point attempt that clanged hard off the front rim at the horn.
“We’re coming out with the ‘W,’ but I’m not fully happy,” O’Loughlin said. “We got to learn to take care of the ball more, finish games at the end.”
Morton, the longtime coach, would prefer to be busy the next 10 days rather than be off. His players need game experience, not ample practice time. He knows what awaits – a Feb. 2 showdown with archrival Boys & Girls in Bed Stuy that will decide the division crown, followed by the borough and city playoffs.
“I’m just gonna play it out; whatever happens, happens,” he said, coyly. “I’m hoping we can sneak up on somebody and beat them.”
While the Railsplitters, the four-time city champions, may not possess the same fear factor it once did, that’s an unlikely scenario. The Kangaroos, clearly, won’t overlook them. But Stokes isn’t worried.
“We’re gonna be ready for that game,” he promised.
