Lincoln Prep falls to Crescent City

LAKE CHARLES - There's only one team that can feel euphoria of winning a state championship at the end of the season.

The other side of the coin is heartbreak - and with it comes human nature to question and self-critique. What could I have done differently? Was I too selfish?

After No. 5 Lincoln Prep lost 62-55 in the Division IV select state semifinal on Wednesday to No. 1 Crescent City, those questions were posed by Lincoln Prep guards Trey Spann and Stephen Burks  - with the duo fighting back tears in the postgame presser.

Between Prep's 27 turnovers and the Pioneers winning the free-throw battle 34-25, the Panthers' second-half comeback (outscored Crescent City 31-29 in second half) wasn't enough to upset the top-ranked Pioneers and get back to the state championship game for the second year in a row.

But head coach Antonio Hudson refused to let two of his leaders take the fall.  Before the season began, with Prep without its three leading scorers from the 2022-23 season, it was a real question of whether Prep would even make it back to Lake Charles. Hudson let the two know they were part of getting the program to the state tournament for the fifth time in seven years - not the reason they fell short.

"He's one of the most unselfish kids that we have on this team. I'm not going to let him wear that on his shoulders," Hudson said after rebutting Spann's postgame thoughts on his performance. "If we're going to print anything, that's what I want. He's too good of a kid. He does everything right."

"I could write a book about this team. Without saying too much, we had some internal issues we had to fix. And it cost us early. But the new saying is, 'We stand on business about that.' We're going to do things the right way. We're going to do things in an appropriate manner. And it cost us early. But they accepted that. This group was so different because nobody expected us to be here. Looking at our team, when we walk in the door it's not like we stand out like, 'Wow. Look at these players.' But they bought in and they fought. People discredited and discounted us. That's why I'm not going to let him do it."

Prep started the season 2-4, missing expected starters to injury and suspension. Hudson said it would have been easy for a group with one senior to accept this was a rebuilding year. But from the rough start, Prep ended the season with a 17-5 record to finish 19-9 overall.

No rebuilding years. Not at Lincoln Prep.

"It's been a constant fight all year. We started out slow but we continued to chip away at it and that's kind of what we did today," Hudson said. "We started off slow and we fought. But that's the guys I have. I'm with them every day. I practice with them every day. I know what they're capable of. I know what I put the through every day and I expect nothing less."

The Panthers started Wednesday's game on fire to start, turning the Pioneers over and leading 11-6 with 2:24 left in the first quarter. But after a timeout from Crescent City, the Pioneers ended the frame on a 10-2 run to take the lead. From there, Prep struggled with turnovers and shot 2-10 from the field in the second quarter to trail 33-24 at halftime, despite 7 points from Burks and 4 points each from Amarje Young and Devin Burton. But 16 turnovers at halftime, along with Crescent City shooting 21 free throws, got Prep stuck in the hole.

But Prep stayed in the fight, outscoring Crescent City 15-9 in the third with Burks putting up 6 points and 2 assists in the quarter alone. Burton and Spann each got going offensively as well, scoring a combined 7 points in the frame with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. But with the deficit getting smaller and smaller, Prep's top players began to get in foul trouble. Burton, Burks, Young, and Smith all had three fouls with 3:30 left in the third, only for Smith to foul out in the fourth and Burks forced to the bench after an early fourth personal in the final frame.

Crescent City took advantage, outscoring 20-16 in the fourth with 12 free throws in the fourth and getting out in transition as Prep tried to press to speed the Pioneers up. Prep continued to get within four, but free throws and transition layups proved to be too much to overcome in the final moments.

Burks, Prep's only senior, scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds - ending his final season with 10-straight double-doubles. 

Hudson gave credit to his senior for taking tough-love teaching at the start of the year and turning into a reliable force for the Panthers to get them back to Lake Charles.

"Our relationship has different. It's been that way," Hudson said of Burks. "He's a son to me. I love every last one of my kids, don't get that misunderstood. But from where he was as a person when he first came to us to where he is now, that's what it's about. I always told him, 'Hey man. I'm going to make you a better person. Forget basketball. I want you to be a better person. I want you to be able to walk into a room and someone has something positive to say about you. And that's a testament to him."

Spann, who ended with 11 points and 3 rebounds, thanked Burks postgame for his leadership.

"I just want to thank you for everything that you did for me - being a good teammate, always making sure I'm staying humble," Spann said. "You were behind me the whole time, keeping my head up all the time."