Lincoln Prep outlasts Crescent City Christian in overtime at boys basketball semfinals

LAKE CHARLES – It was a matchup of a team with a pair of seniors and one junior starter against a team with three sophomores and two freshmen starters.

Youth was not served but the future is very, very bright for Crescent City Christian.

Stephen Burks nailed a pair of 3-pointers and No. 2 seed Lincoln Prep made eight free throws in overtime to fend off the third-seeded Pioneers 66-60 in the Select Division IV semifinals Thursday afternoon at Burton Coliseum.

Crescent City Christian did not go down easily.

Trailing 48-45, freshman Dwight Magee calmly drilled a 23-foot 3-pointer from the top of the circle with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime.

The Pioneers were victimized by five crucial turnovers in overtime.

Lincoln Prep scored the first four points of the game and led most of the first quarter before the Pioneers tied it 11-11. Kobe Mack put the Panthers on top with a late basket and it was 13-11 going to the second quarter. Mack had eight points in the quarter.

Crescent City Christian took its first lead to start the second quarter and there were six lead changes in the quarter before the Pioneers closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Magee, to give Crescent City a 26-21 halftime lead. Magee had 11 points in the half.

Lincoln Prep came out blazing in the third quarter, opening on a 9-0 run to take a 30-26 lead. The Pioneers had a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 34-32 but the Panthers closed the quarter on a 5-2 run to take a 39-34 lead going to the fourth quarter.

Mack led Lincoln Prep with 18 points and four rebounds while Bralyn Mayfield had 14 points 8 steals, six rebounds and three assists. Brandon Heard added 10 points eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Burks finished with nine on a trio of 3-pointers with seven rebounds.

Magee led Crescent City Christian (22-5) with 20 points, including six 3-pointers. Magee added six rebounds. Sophomore Isaiah Stevens had 13 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Cam’Ron James finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Pioneers committed 25 turnovers.

Lincoln Prep (24-4) advances to its second final in four seasons to meet top seed Northwood-Lena in the final Saturday at noon. The Panthers reached the Class 1A final in 2020, losing to North Central 81-65.

FINAL
CCC 11 15 8 14 12 — 60
LP 13 8 18 9 18 — 66

📊🏀🏆 pic.twitter.com/wXizcVDH0o

— LHSAA (@LHSAAsports) March 9, 2023