Boys Basketball

January 17, 2010

Rough first half sinks Lincoln

Jamal McDaniels Lincoln

Jamal McDaniels had eight points for Lincoln before fouling out in the fourth.

Click Here for photos from Cardinal McCarrick at Lincoln.

By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director

JERSEY CITY – Finding a consistent grove on offensive has been a challenge for the Lincoln boys basketball team this season.

Head coach Troy Smith is still searching for answers as the Lions were unable to overcome a nightmarish first half as they dropped a 54-37 decision to Cardinal McCarrick in yesterday’s Dan Finn Classic at the Jersey City Armory.

“I’m a little bit bothered by their performance,” Smith said. “I’m a little bit upset about how things played out. But by the same token I can look at it that two of my better players (Jamal McDaniels and Tre Brooks) were on the bench (late in the game).”

Seemingly everything that could go wrong did for a Lincoln (6-5) offense which struggled to hit shots and entered the half with more turnovers (19) than points (10).

“We just came out and weren’t as aggressive as we normally are,” Smith said. “We shot a lot of jump shots on a court with no backdrop so the depth perception is off. When the backdrop is far away, your jump shot is off and we wanted to be a jump shooting team. You live by the jump shot, you’re going to die by the jump shot. They know that’s my motto.”

Whether it was jumpers or drives to the hoop, nothing seemed to fall for Lincoln.

Trailing by 19 at the half, the Lions’ slumbering offense came alive in the third quarter. They opened up the second half with a 13-0 run behind a revived McDaniels. The senior guard, selected as Lincoln’s Player of the Game, had four points in the stretch and had scored six in the quarter as they were able to attack the basket with success for the first time in the game.

Lincoln would cut the deficit down to four points after a Donovan McClean trey and a cross-court layup from Shamar Bey.

But the Lions would get no closer than that 34-30 score. The momentum quickly faded when McDaniels fouled out on a charge with 5:49 left in the game. With McDaniels and fellow senior Brooks out the game, Cardinal McCarrick (?-?) took full advantage. Just 13 second later slammed the door shut on Lincoln’s chance after a monstrous dunk by the Eagles’ Mo Isaac off a missed free throw.

“I think he would have been a difference maker,” Smith said about the loss of McDaniels.

Isaac (10 points, seven rebounds) and Cardinal McCarrick (9-3) Player of the Game Dana Raysar (16 points) would score 11 points in the final quarter as the Eagles closed things out with a 10-3 run to preserve their second win over Lincoln this season. The first one came on Dec. 28, a 62-59 victory for Cardinal McCarrick.

McDaniels had eight points and Brooks scored seven to lead the Lions. As two of the few players left from Lincoln’s 2008 Group II championship left on what is now an inexperienced group, the expectations are high for them this season.

Smith knows he’s going to need to get more out of his two captains to fill the offensive void left by the graduation of former standout Daquan Pettiford.

“They’re used to being the ones being sheltered and protected by the veteran guys,” Smith said. “Now I need them to lead and show my young guys what needs to happen on the court.”

Shamar Bey Lincoln

Shamar Bey scored all six of his points in the second half for Lincoln.

  1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinal McCarrick Eagles (9-3)
19
10
5
20
54
Lincoln Lions (6-5)
6
4
15
12
37
Cardinal McCarrick   Lincoln
  2s 3s 1s Pts
Chris Thomas
0
1
0
3
Mo Isaac
3
0
4
10
John Appiah
3
0
1
7
Dana Raysar
5
1
3
16
Jeremy Cruz
3
0
3
9
Mike Lewis
1
0
1
3
Charlie Gorman
0
0
0
0
Jumanee McDaniel
3
0
0
6
Total
18
2
12
54
 
         
         
 
  2s 3s 1s Pts
Randy Henry
0
0
0
0
Jamal McDaniels
3
0
2
8
Tre Brooks
3
0
1
7
Shamar Bey
2
0
2
6
Lamar McKnight
1
0
4
6
Jahmal Brown
0
0
2
2
Marquise Hallman
0
0
1
1
Zakee Adams
2
0
0
4
Donovan McClean
0
1
0
3
David Rivers
0
0
0
0
Robert Lane
0
0
0
0
Total
11
1
12
37
     
Cardinal McCarrick: Isaac 7 rebounds; McDaniel 6 rebounds; Cruz 5 steals. Lincoln: Brooks 6 rebounds; Bey 5 rebounds; Brown 4 rebounds.