"Time is on my side," sang Mick Jagger from the Top 10 hit of the same name by the Rolling Stones. However that was not the case for the Lincoln University men's basketball team as their comeback effort from a 28-point deficit in the second half ran out of time as they lost for the first time at home this season, 91-85 to a red-hot shooting Seton Hill University squad.
Trailing 75-47 with 13:17 left in the second half, the Lions (2-3) used nearly all of that time with a 38-13 run to close within three in the waning seconds before the Griffins (1-4) iced the game at the free throw line.
Deaquan Williams (Camden, N.J./Camden), who led the Lions with 26 points and ten rebounds, led the first wave of the charge scoring six points in a 9-0 surge that cut the deficit to 19 at 75-56 at the 10:10 mark.
Zahrion Blue (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) had the remaining points on his line three-point bucket of the afternoon. Blue finished with 16 points , nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The offensive wave by the Lions ebbed over the next three minutes with Lincoln shaving just two more points off the lead and trailed 82-65 with 6:59 left. Williams then started the next big offensive surge by Lincoln with a layup, triggering a 10-0 run to cut the lead to single digits 82-75 with 3:01 left. Three point baskets from
Bernard Lightsey (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) and
Josh Page (Washington, D.C./Rock Creek Christian Academy) highlighted the surge.
SHU's Malik McKinney broke the run with a traditional three-point play to push the lead back to ten but a 7-2 spurt by the Lions cut the deficit in half and made it a two-possession game with just 67 ticks left on the clock. A quick turnover by the Griffins gave Lincoln a change to come even closer nut they could not capitalize on it and were forced to foul. Trevor Blondin made one- of-two before Lightsey came down and sank his fifth and final three-point basket of the game, pulling the Lions within three 88-85. Lightsey would finish the game with 21 points and a team-high four assists.
The Griffins would then seal the win at the free throw line, making three-of-four in the final 11 seconds to pull out the six point win.
Strong shooting, especially from beyond the three point line, keyed Seton Hill's success over the first 27 minutes. The Griffins shot 60.7% from the field in the first half and made 11 of 18 three point field goals. In the first seven minutes of the second half, the Griffins added five more three-balls. SHU's Nathan Davis did most of the damage, making 10 of 13 from long range. He finished the game with a career high 39 points (13-19 FG). He also grabbed nine rebounds. Blondin added three three-pointers among his eight total field goals and an 8-12 effort from the free throw line to finish with 27 points. Together Davis and Blondin accounted for 66 of the Griffins 91 points. Anthony Karabatsos dished out 12 assists.
The Griffins finished the game shooting 58% (29-50) from the field while Lincoln shot 42% (29-69)
The men's basketball team returns to action with a non-conference game on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 hosting University of the Sciences. Tipoff is at 8:00 p.m.
