- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA – With the Lincoln University men's basketball team searching for answers, freshman Bakir Cleveland (Newark, N.J. /University) came off the bench with the cheat codes in New Haven, CT.
Cleveland scored eight consecutive points in a game-changing 17-0 run as the Lions upended Southern Connecticut State Sunday, 79-67, in non-conference action at the James W. Moore Fieldhouse. The freshman guard finished with a career-high 21 points to aid in the win.
Lincoln (7-4 overall) enters Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on a three-game winning streak, and winners in four of the last five games.
The home-standing Owls were proficient from the field early, hitting seven of their first nine shots – including all four three-point attempts. With a shade under 14 minutes remaining in the first half, Lincoln was trailing by nine points.
From there, the Lions showed their teeth and flexed their muscle on the glass.
Junior Alex Nunnally (Washington, D.C./Cesar Chavez Parkside) jumpstarted the rally with back-to-back baskets following offensive rebounds. Following a three-pointer by Isaiah Miles (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park), the Cleveland portion of the proceeds were activated. The rangy guard drills a jumper, and then hits back-to-back three-pointers to push the LU advantage to six and lead to a SCSU timeout. All three of his buckets were assisted by junior Amir Stevens (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central), who received his first extensive minutes of the season.
By the time the aforementioned spurt had concluded, Lincoln's nine-point deficit was an eight-point lead.
A quick 8-0 run at the beginning of the second half gave the Orange and Blue a game-high 15-point lead.
Southern Connecticut State had another push in it. A little used reserve came off the bench to spark the Owls, and Lincoln's lead was cut in half with nine minutes remaining. However, baskets from Cleveland and junior Zahrion Blue (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) got the Lions back into an offensive flow, pushed the lead back to 15, and Lincoln secured the non-conference win.
Blue finished with a game-high 24 points with eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Nunnally, for the second straight game, came off the bench for a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association action is now on tap for the Lions as they begin a stretch with three CIAA games in five days, hosting Johnson C. Smith 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
