Lake Land - 67
Lincoln Land - 65
A three to win at the buzzer bounced off the rim and the Loggers fell just short to the Lakers of Lake Land College, 67-65.
After a week of no classes, just practices, the Lincoln Land Loggers men's basketball team was itching to start their second semester of games. A Saturday afternoon rematch against Lake Land College provided them that opportunity. Both teams took turns looking like the better team in the first half. First, the Lakers were the aggressor early and established a two possession lead before Lincoln Land answered back and led by a game high 8 halfway through the first half. Both teams were able to stay within 6 points of the other team the rest of the way, making it an exciting back and forth contest. The bench and the three point line helped Lincoln Land in that first half. Dane Foster and Jermale Young and Young (6), Brandenn Robinson (6), and Axel Laby (8) providing scoring sparks off the bench to help LLCC. Both those advantages would unfortunately fall off in the second half.
After coming out of the half up 3, Lincoln Land was able to keep control of the lead, staying ahead for nearly the entire second half, but to the Lakers credit, they answered each Logger run with a tough response to keep the game to a two possession or less game the rest of the way.
A microcosm of how the game played out was the stretch from 12:00-9:30 to go in the game. Lincoln Land looked poised to run away with the game when Sophomore Cameron Kincaid got LLCC up 6 twice with back to back dunks. Kincaid ripped through the lane past his defender and rose above the help-side defense to slam it down. Lake Land was able to score to slow some momentum, but after a Logger missed shot the Lincoln Land defense was flying around the court, first knocking the ball out of bounds, then into the back court, where two Lincoln Land players dove on the ground to try to come up with the possession. Lake Land controlled it and then it was immediately stolen by the Loggers and Kincaid again broke away to dunk it and put LLCC up 6 at 54-48. Lake Land called a timeout to try to stop the Loggers momentum. It worked, Lake Land responded with back to back makes on contested threes to tie the game right back up at 54. No matter how much the momentum and gameplay seemed to favor the Loggers, they were never able to put a Lake Land away.
Although tied 4 times in the second half, Lincoln Land avoided trailing until a bucket with right at 2:00 to play put the Lakers ahead by 2. A possession later yet another tough and earned bucket was put in by Lake Land to lead by 4. Lincoln Land got a Kincaid three on the next possession to get within 1 with just :50 to play. After a foul, Lake Land converted on 1/2 free throw opportunities tied and Lincoln Land had possession to try to tie the game. A missed Logger shot led to two more free throws again for the Lakers who missed both with :05 to play. Lincoln Land was provided one last opportunity and a three the was in the air when the buzzer sounded soared just left and bounced away to allow the Lakers to claim the 67-65 victory.
Kincaid led all scorers with 22, 19 after half time. Axel Laby ended with 13 and Dane Foster added 10. Statistically, shooting proved the difference as Lake Land committed 4 more turnover than the Loggers, but shot 56% from the field and 50% from three, both percentages were above 65% in the second half. Those numbers compared to 46% and 29% for LLCC. Lincoln Land was only able to score 30 in the second half, not enough to remain ahead.
Lincoln Land drops to 5-6 on the season. They will begin Mid-West Athletic Conference play next Saturday at home against Spoon River College.
