Lincoln Guards Bury Morse

Meeting rival Morse in its nonleague game for neighborhood bragging rights, Lincoln’s basketball team never considered itself an underdog. But the Hornets weren’t expected to win, let along blow out the No. 1 Tigers, 78-56, in front of about 2,500 at Southwestern College Friday.

“There are no upsets when Lincoln plays Morse; records don’t count,” said Coach Ron Loneski, whose Hornets (7-8) trailed only once, 2-0, and finished off the Tigers (8-4) by outscoring them, 22-9, in the fourth quarter.

“I get kids who don’t play basketball coming up to me at school and saying they want to play against Morse,” Loneski said.

Although some of them were too small for their uniforms, the nine players Loneski put on the floor Friday were all the student body needed.

Lincoln’s “Smurf” backcourt of Archie Robinson (a 5-foot-5, 120-pound sophomore) and Dennis Washington (5-5) appeared no match for man-sized Morse. But they took care of the ball, often being double-teamed in the front court, and triggered an 11-4 first-quarter lead.

Lincoln twice built seven-point leads and went on an 11-2 run to open the game. The pace was fast and furious, as one might expect from these rivals. While Lincoln was able to penetrate inside, getting the ball to junior forward Hosa Baker (23 points) for three layups, Morse played out of control.

The Tigers were so tense on offense, one shot hit the shot clock and another Morse player shot an airball at the free-throw line.

Lincoln led by nine with 4:05 left in the quarter when the Hornets’ John Akridge, a 6-1 senior guard, led his team on another 11-2 run to close out the half.

Akridge, who came in averaging eight points a game, had 15 in the first half and finished with 19.

Lincoln’s lead grew to 21 points, 50-29, with 3:21 left in the third quarter. But then the Tigers bombed in four three-point shots, two each by Kendall Lavendar and Russ Calvin, and cut the margin to nine by the end of the quarter.

Morse whittled it down to six in the opening moments of the fourth period when Lavendar, who finished with 23, hit another three-pointer. But then Lincoln went on a 14-0 run.

Morse’s Darnell Cherry was held to six points.