LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. –Three Lincoln University men's basketball players reached double figures in scoring as the Lions held off the University of the Sciences and pulled away down the stretch to win its 2012-2013 Home Opener, 64-52, in front of a huge home crowd on Thursday night at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium.
 
“This game was a funny one because their record doesn't match their team,” Lincoln head coach John Hill said. “This is a tough team, a good team, and a game like this last year we might have lost.We have a balanced attack with guys like Will (Cole), Wayne (Newsome) and Jalen (Ford). Will hasn't played in two years, so he is still knocking the rust off. He is still learning and getting better by the day.”
 
Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) paced Lincoln with 19 points, including going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. He also added six rebounds and four assists. George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) registered 11 points, while Will Cole (Newark, NJ/Cesar Chavez HS) poured in 10 points and four boards as the Lions (2-0) were 24-of-52 (46 percent) from the floor.
 
Lincoln jumped out to an 18-11 advantage after a Justin Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) jumper with 11:52 remaining and extended the margin to 25-15 after a three-point play by Sharpe with 7:51 left in the opening half.
 
The Devils (0-3) closed the gap to 30-26 after a bucket by Henry Messinger with 2:23 left, but Lincoln took a seven-point lead, 33-26, into the half as Jai Kellman (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse HS) drained a 3-pointer.
 
University of the Sciences opened the second half on an 11-4 run, capped by a Messinger 3-pointer with 15:06 remaining and a free throw by Messinger with 14:33 left gave the Devils a slim, 38-37, advantage.
 
But the Lions answered with a 10-2 run, capped by a Cole layup with 8:36 remaining. Again, the University of the Sciences refused to go quietly as Garrett Kerr sank a 3-pointer with 6:56 left to cut the deficit to 47-45 with 6:56 remaining.
 
The Devils never got any closer down the stretch as Lincoln closed the game on a 17-7 run.
 
“I knew it was going to be a point in the game where my shots were going to fall,” George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS), who went 4-of-14 from the field, but had seven straight points to begin the closing run, said. “I had a slow start. Coach told me to go hard and my man was playing off of me. I took advantage of it.”
 
Messinger led University of the Sciences with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kerr finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting and added six rebounds and a pair of steals as the Devils were 21-of-46 (46 percent) shooting.
 
Lincoln looks to defend its 2011-2012 Fresh Coast Classic Championship as the Lions take on No. 14 Saint Leo on Friday, Nov. 23 at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wis. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m., (eastern time). The contest can be viewed through live stats at: http://www.sidearmstats.com/lincoln/mbball/scoreboard.aspx
 
Lions Notebook: The win marks the first time Lincoln has started the season at 2-0 since the 1994-1995 season when the Lions went 13-9…Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) continues his hot streak, now reaching double figures in scoring in 22 of the 28 games he has played in…There were four ties and three lead changes...George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) and Jai Kellman (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse HS) had four of the team's five 3-pointers.