Lincoln Raises Game to Beat Downey Pius X

Moments after Lincoln beat Clairemont by 31 points to win the section title last week, Coach Ron Loneski began to worry about his team’s competitive edge, knowing nobody in Los Angeles or Orange counties was going to win a championship that easily.

The question was not how the Hornets would match-up, but whether they would be mentally ready for the next level. Second-seeded Lincoln (23-8) answered that question Thursday, beating Downey Pius X, 76-71, to advance to the Southern California Boys’ Division IV Regional playoff finals Saturday at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

The game, at Lincoln’s gym, appeared to be one continuous fast break. The Hornets were led by guard Archie Robinson, who finished with 21 points and hit five three-pointers, twice helping Lincoln to big leads. To answer his coach, forward Berry Randle (17 points) said afterward said he was tired--physically, not mentally.

“I wasn’t as concerned as the coach,” Randle said. “I wasn’t concerned at all, really, because a lot of these players know what they had to come up against. They just hadn’t seen it yet. We finally got a taste of it and we know it’s going be like this the rest of the way.”

Lincoln led by 13 points in the second quarter and twice by 12 in the second half, but Pius X (22-8), which got a game-high 23 points from Michael O’Quinn, narrowed it to 73-70 with 1:08 left and Randle (six blocked shots) going to the bench with five fouls.

Randle watched helplessly as his teammates held on. Stalling the clock with 37 seconds left, guard Dennis Washington found an opening and drove for a layup to make it 75-71. Then, after both Claudia Pitts and Troy Collins shot airballs for Pius X, Washington, a 5-foot-7 senior, got the rebound and was fouled. Washington, who finished with five points--all in the fourth quarter--made one free throw to ice the game.

But Robinson’s three-pointers were the most important baskets. He hit back-to-back bombs early to make it 19-11, Lincoln. He shot two more within the final 33 seconds of the first half, the second beating the buzzer to make it 25-18. His final three-pointer in the third quarter gave Lincoln a 10-point lead, 52-42. Teammate Hosa Baker then stole a pass for a layup that capped a 12-2 run.

“This was a scary game all the way to the end; I’m glad we pulled it out,” Randle said. “I’m glad Archie found his shot, too. We’re going to need him if we’re going to win state.”