- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA – For the first time in 14 meetings with Virginia State, the Lincoln University men's basketball team leaves on the winning side of the ledger as the Lions scored 14 of the game's 15 points, never trailed, and posted the 65-56 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association win over the Trojans Saturday inside the VSU Multipurpose Center in Etterick, VA.
With the victory, Lincoln improves to 3-2 in the CIAA's Northern Division action, joining three other teams atop the division midway through division action. Lincoln has now held three of its last four opponents to under its goal of 60 points, all three have ended in victory.
While the Lions never surrendered the lead or even had Virginia State pull even, Lincoln just exactly cruise to a win.
The four of the six times VSU pulled to within one possession, junior Zahrion Blue (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) had an answer to keep the home team at bay. Immediately following a three-point play with 2:30 remaining that pulled Virginia State to within two, Blue drilled a baseline jumper to push the lead back to four and kick start the game-ending 9-2 run.
However, he wasn't the only one to make a play down the stretch as Lincoln held on to secure the victory. Point guards Korey Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y./LaSalle Academy) and Reggie Hudson (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond's) each had key buckets in the final five minutes.
Lincoln's defense was stellar from the opening tip, holding Virginia State to just one point for most of the half as the Trojans' first made field goal came with 10:25 remaining. However, once the lid was seemingly removed, VSU was able to crawl back into the game, and six minutes later – only trailed by a single point.
But, Blue drilled the first of his four momentum-stealing baskets – a three-pointer that boosted LU's lead back to four points. Lincoln held that advantage at halftime.
The Lions came out of the break blazing, immediately pushing their lead back to double figures. While Lincoln couldn't build its lead, LU maintained at least a six-point advantage for nearly half of the second stanza.
With 10:54 remaining, Virginia State had crawled all the way to within two – but the Trojans had to be thinking 'Mama there goes that man again' as Blue connected on a pair of shots in a three-possession span to lift the LU lead back to seven.
VSU got to within three on a couple of possessions, but couldn't pull even or take the lead.
Blue finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, marking his second consecutive double-double, and his fifth of the season. He added three assists and a steal in the victory. Williams reached double digits for the third consecutive game with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting with three steals, two rebounds, and two assists.
Hudson led the team with seven assists to go along with seven points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Lincoln (14-6 overall, 7-2 CIAA) travels to Fayetteville State 7:30 p.m. Monday.
