Young Panthers make it three straight trips to state with 40-38 squeaker at St. Mary’s
Lincoln Prep won a defensive battle over St. Mary’s on Friday to advance to the LHSAA State Basketball Tournament. Photo by Tony Valentino
The LHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament might have to start making a reserved spot for Lincoln Prep.
For the third straight season, the No. 5 Lincoln Prep Panthers (19-8) are headed back to Marsh Madness after defeating No. 4 St. Mary’s (25-7) 40-38 in the Division IV Select quarterfinals on Friday, sending the Panthers back to what’s become a second home to the program in recent memory — four trips in the last five seasons.
Between the combined offensive efforts of Devin Burton’s 13 points — shooting 100% from the field — or Stephen Burks’ 11 points and 11 rebounds, and the stingy defensive presence of Trey Spann and Amarje Young, the Panthers put up one of their top defensive performances of the season in the most crucial moment, holding St. Mary’s under 40 points for just the third time all season.
“ At the beginning of the season, I felt like once we bought into what we want to do we’d be good,” Prep head coach Antonio Hudson said. “And we still struggle with it at times but I knew we had the chance to be a really good defensive team. And we struggle with that at that times. But when we piece it together, we’ve been pretty good. At the beginning of the year, it was about just scoring points.
“That’s not what we want ask them to do. If you buy into the system and you defend the way we defend and run offense we want, you win. It was a challenge to get them all to buy in. and the win was ugly, we struggled from the freethrow line, but to win ugly games is a positive because once you put it all together, it can be special,” Hudson added.
Through two playoff wins, Prep has held its opponents to an average of 40 points, including holding opponents under 10 points in three of the eight quarters in the postseason so far.
Spann, who still felt the impact of his regional- round injury on Friday, may have scored just three points, but he limited the Tigers all night with his defensive pressure. Hudson felt he was an X-factor.
“ Offensively, Trey was still dealing with his finger but he played some of the best defense he played all season,” Hudson said. “Amarje Young, end to end, had some of the best defense he’s played all season. It was a total team effort and Devin Burton stepped up at the end of the day. This team has shown we have a bunch of different options and weapons, that at any given time and on any given night someone new can contribute.”
The Panthers jumped ahead 13- 11 after the first quarter and held St. Mary’s to just five points in the second quarter to lead 18- 16 at halftime. Prep outscored St. Mary’s 15-14 in the third quarter to lead 33- 30 and then delivered one more defensive stand as the team limited St. Mary’s to eight points in the fourth.
Along with the double-digit scoring from Burks and Burton, Prep had contributions from Young (8 pts, 4 assists, 2 steals), Zion Hicks (6 points, 2 rebounds), Spann (2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal), and Trumarion Smith (3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal).
Prep will now get set for a state tournament rematch against No. 1 Crescent City (23-5), which the Panthers defeated 62-56 in overtime of last season’s Division IV Select semifinal. Hudson said facing the Pioneers again will come down to the same mentality that has gotten Prep this far.
The Panthers take on Crescent City Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
“Our team studies the game plan and study film so hard and it showed. I’m so proud of how we executed on the defensive end,” Hudson said. “We haven’t talked about (Crescent City) yet, but they know. I’ll say this though, if we go down there and the score is in the 70s, we’re going to struggle. If it’s the way we defended against St. Mary’s and the game is in the 40s and 50s, we have a chance. They’re a really good team. They’re well put together and they’re well coached.”
