DIVISION IV GIRLS : Dixon Scores 29 in Lincoln’s Win

It wasn’t really close. The Lincoln girls’ basketball team eased by Woodlake, 72-47, in an opening-round game of the Southern California Regionals at Lincoln High.

But listen to Lincoln center Sheila Dixon, and you could get the impression that Lincoln really had to fight for this one.

“We were really tense,” she said. “We knew (Woodlake) had to be good to be here. But I like competitive games like this. They bring our spirit up.”

This one brought up Dixon’s spirits enough for this prediction:

“If we can stick together and play as a team, we can take this whole thing,” she said.

Dixon, 6-foot-3, had 20 points by halftime and Lincoln led by 12, thanks in large part to some savvy passes to Dixon down low.

Things changed in the third quarter, and the three Woodlake players who made like a barricade around Dixon were the reason why.

Suddenly, there were no passing lanes for the Lincoln guards.

“They acted like they were scared to give it to me,” Dixon said of her teammates in the third quarter. “And I can certainly understand that, with three people and someone my same height guarding me.”

No matter, there was still the fourth quarter, and, like the first half, Dixon got loose underneath and started throwing in points. She finished with 29. Shondel Robinson, who spent much of the night orchestrating Lincoln’s offense, picked up 19 points.