Lincoln guard Shaquille Davis goes for the shot in the paint. (Damion Reid)
It was a white-knuckler with plenty of momentum shifts. A brief skirmish broke out afterward. A celebrity, Los Angeles Clippers guard Sebastian Telfair, was in the crowd.
Basically, it was your typical Lincoln-Boys & Girls blood feud in Coney Island.
“It was definitely intense,” Railsplitters forward Kamari Murphy said of his introduction to the PSAL’s version of Yankees-Red Sox.
The showdown was also similar in that Lincoln found itself on top after 32 minutes, 61-58, by executing in the fourth quarter on each end of the floor. The Railsplitters’ third straight win moved them into a tie with Thomas Jefferson atop Brooklyn AA.
There was Murphy, the Bishop Ford transfer, dominating the paint in just his second game, scoring 10 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and blocking five shots; Shaquille Stokes continuing to excel as a lead guard, scoring a team-high 18 points and dishing out five assists; and the supporting cast doing its job: Reuben King scored 10 points, Raymond O’Loughlin added nine and forward Devante Brown, who moved to the bench with the addition of Murphy, came up with six big points and 10 rebounds.
“We all won this game – the whole team,” King said. “We’re a new team after that Robeson loss.”
King, a junior transfer from Nazareth, was referring to the heartbreaking setback at the buzzer, Lincoln’s first home loss in nearly four years. It was just a week ago, but it feels like at least a month.
Last Sunday, the Railsplitters rallied from a 12-point deficit to top CHSAA power All Hallows. On Tuesday, they knocked off Transit Tech, which beat Thomas Jefferson on Thursday.
And against Boys & Girls (6-2, 4-2, Brooklyn ‘AA’), its fierce and bitter rival, the Railsplitters continued to show resiliency and resolve. Lincoln trailed, 39-32, midway through the third quarter, yet answered with a game-deciding 22-7 run, to go up 54-46 with 4:06 remaining.
Stokes was in the middle of the flurry with seven points, including the capper, a top-of-the-key 3-pointer, and two free throws. Brown, a 6-foot-8 senior, had four points on a pair of offensive rebounds. Murphy had two baskets and a pair of emphatic blocked shots.
“It shows we’re one of the best teams in the city,” Murphy said. “Me personally, I feel like we’re going to the Garden.”
Boys & Girls has similar aspirations, despite the disappointing loss. Led by Mike Taylor’s eight first-quarter points, The High got off to a good start. With starter Jeffland Neverson and sixth man Jamal Mapp serving a one-game suspension for what coach Ruth Lovelace termed disciplinary problems, the Kangaroos wilted down the stretch.
Senior Jerry High had a fine third quarter, scoring seven points, but was held without a point in the fourth. Taylor and point guard Antoine Slaughter frequently misfired, leaving Leroy Isler (18 points) the lone reliable option.
“They made a lot more plays than us,” Lovelace said. “They attacked the basket a little bit and we settled for jump shots. That’s not the game plan.”
Lincoln’s optimism is clearly not unfounded, although it is early. Morton said he was proud of his team, how it kept fighting, even if he would like to see them close out games better.
Lincoln (6-1, 5-1) has a tough non-league schedule ahead, beginning with Saturday’s showdown against Bishop Loughlin and Villanova-bound forward Jayvaughn Pinkston. The rest of the league schedule in Brooklyn AA, clearly the best division in the city, is extremely difficult, too.
It includes a pair of games with co-leader Thomas Jefferson, one more matchup with Robeson and Transit Tech, and of course, another showdown with Boys & Girls, in Bed Stuy, Feb 2.
That promises to be more intense, if possible. After the final whistle, the two sides exchanged words and shoves, each blaming the other for instigating. School safety officers quickly broke up the incident, making sure words were the only harm done.
“Those guys don’t like to lose, that’s their reputation,” Morton said. “It’s kind of hard losing to Lincoln every year. We still gotta go there. When we do, they’ll get a chance to beat us.”
