Santa Ynez Helps Bring Lincoln’s Season to End

Another year, another good team and another season of highlights and high hopes ended for Lincoln in the Southern California Division IV Girls’ Regional semifinals Thursday.

The second-seeded Hornets, an efficient team through much of the season, came up short, 53-44, against second-seeded Santa Ynez, Southern Section runner-up.

The Hornets shot only 22%, making 15 of 68 shots from the field on their home floor.

“Our shots wouldn’t fall,” said Lincoln guard Shondell Robinson, who had four three-pointers and finished with a game-high 20 points. She, like her teammates, had some cold spells. “We didn’t play our best,” she said.

Lincoln (21-4) led by as many as seven points in the first half, 22-15, but could make only four field goals in the second half and was outshot, 15-8, from the line. The Pirates made 15 of 19, the Hornets eight of 18.

Both teams had chances to take control in the first half and neither did so. Lincoln made more than 50% of its shots from the field in the first quarter but went haywire in the second quarter, making only three of 15. Santa Ynez turned the ball over 13 times but couldn’t capitalize despite getting several opportunities.

Santa Ynez, using a zone and full-court press, confused Lincoln early and jumped out to a 15-10 lead.

But after a Hornet time out, Lincoln outscored the Pirates, 10-0, with Robinson scoring eight of them with a jumper and two three-pointers from the top of key. Hattie Sanders also had eight points for Lincoln in the quarter.

But when the Hornets started throwing the ball at the basket and Santa Ynez’s Becky Rachelle connected for seven points in the second quarter, the Pirates pulled to a 26-26 tie at halftime.