LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA. (February 16, 2008) – Ladaye Johnson (Wilmington, DE/Hodgson Vo-Tech) scored 22 points to help the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team defeat Briarcliffe College, 84-80, Saturday afternoon at Manuel Rivero Hall. (BOXSCORE)
Dante Blanton-Holcombe (Baltimore, MD/Dunbar) scored 17 of his 19 points in the final eight minutes, three seconds to help the Lions (3-20 overall) break a two-game losing streak. Blanton-Holcombe, who has scored in double figures in 26 straight games, made four foul shots in the final 17 seconds to keep Briarcliffe away. Blanton-Holcombe also contributed five assists and a reverse two-handed dunk during the game.
Johnson, who added a team-high seven assists, has scored in double digits in 12 straight games. The visiting Seahawks pulled to within two points on two different occasions in the final 20 seconds. Each time Blanton-Holcombe made a pair of foul shots to extend Lincoln's advantage.
Also reaching double digits for Lincoln was Dominic Washington (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) (14 points, 11 rebounds), Aaron Lloyd (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) (12 points) and Garrick Wooten (Baltimore, MD/Randallstown) (10 points, nine rebounds). This was the fourth time this season at least five Lincoln players reached double digits in scoring in the same game.
Wooten, who threw down a one-handed dunk in the first half off of a Blanton-Holcombe pass, has averaged 10.5 rebounds in Lincoln's last two games. Fueled by Wooten and Washington, Lincoln won the rebounding battle, 55-40. Eugene Smith (Lansdowne, PA/Penn Wood) came off the bench to grab nine rebounds. Johnson and Lloyd also grabbed six rebounds each for the Lions.
Lincoln's balance was needed to offset Joshua Smith's 32-point performance and Nikita Davis' double-double of 23 points and 17 rebounds. Mike Woods contributed 17 points for Briarcliffe (9-12).
Lincoln took control of the game after Briarcliffe began the second half with a 13-2 surge to grab a 44-43 lead with 15:52 remaining. The Lions scored seven straight points highlighted by four points from Washington and a 3-pointer from Lloyd. That expanded Lincoln's advantage to 50-44 with 14:32 remaining. The Lions spent the rest of the game holding off several Briarcliffe charges.
The Lions started fast by opening a 33-22 lead following a Johnson 3-pointer 12 minutes into the game. Lincoln expanded its advantage to 41-27 following a Eugene Smith (Lansdowne, PA/Penn Wood) basket with 3:43 remaining in the first half.
Lincoln continues its three-game home stand against 2006 NCAA Division II national champion Virginia Union, which is ranked seventh in the NCAA's South Atlantic Regional rankings, Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. Virginia Union defeated Lincoln, 94-77, in Richmond on Thursday December 13.
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