Lancers can’t keep pace with Arlington

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Creed Jessee scored a game high 28 points but Lincolnview was unable to overcome a fast start by Arlington in a 76-63 loss in the home finale on Saturday.

The visiting Red Devils (17-4) jumped out to a 25-14 first quarter lead, forcing the Lancers to play catch up the rest of the night. Collin Overholt scored six points in the quarter, but Arlington’s Jaret Vermillion, Caden Lafferty, Ty Webb and Bryce Gast each scored five points in the opening period.

“We didn’t show up and that was the situation both games this weekend,” Lincolnview head coach Brett Hammons said. “We gave up 24 points to Ada last (Friday) night and again tonight. We weren’t ready to go and you can put that on me. We just have to learn how to get stops, but give credit to Arlington, they made some good shots.”

“This is a shot making game and when you go 1-17 from three and struggle to make a shot from outside 15 feet it’s going to be tough to win basketball games,” Hammons continued. “We’re 11-60 in our last three games shooting deep so we have to continue to get better and keep working hard and it’s something we have to learn from.”

Arlington stretched the lead to as many as 11 in the second quarter, but a pair of foul shots by Daegan Hatfield, a layup by Landon Price and a basket by Aaron Cavinder closed the gap to five, 38-33, at halftime.

The Lancers trimmed it to two, 51-49, late in the third quarter, but a bucket by Lafferty and a basket and foul shot by Zavier Thornton gave Arlington a 56-49 lead entering the final quarter. Thornton finished with 15 points, while Gast tallied 11.

Jessee scored eight points in the fourth quarter, including Lincolnview’s only trey of the game to pull the Lancers to within three, 63-60, with 4:40 left. However, Vermillion, who finished with 23 points, immediately answered with a triple of his own and the Red Devils scored 10 unanswered points to lead 73-63 with 1:10 left.

In addition to Jessee’s 28 points, Overholt finished with 15 and Jake Bowersock chipped in with eight.

“He (Jessee) attacked and that’s what we’ve been trying to get him to do and I thought he did a good job of taking the ball to the basket,” Hammons explained. “I thought Collin did a job of taking the ball to the hoop, Jake did a good job inside and I thought a lot of guys proved they can attack the hoop.”

Lincolnview (10-11) will end the regular season at Paulding on Friday night.

“They’re not the biggest in size but they’re quick and they spread you out and they can make shots and that’s something we need to be ready for,” Hammons said of the Panthers. “You have to take pride in your 101 defense and we have to be ready to go.”

Scoring summary

Lincolnview 14 19 16 14 – 63
Arlington 25 20 18 20 – 76

Lincolnview: Landon Price 1-0-2; Clayton Leeth 1-1-3; Aaron Cavinder 2-0-4; Collin Overholt 6-3-15; Daegan Hatfield 0-3-3; Jake Bowersock 4-0-8; Creed Jessee 9-9-28

Arlington: Jaret Vermillion 8-2-23; Trenton Comstock 1-1-1; Zavier Thornton 4-5-15; Austin Frysinger 1-0-2; Caden Lafferty 3-0-8; Ty Webb 3-1-8; Bryce Gast 4-3-11; Tyson Speyer 4-0-8

JV: Linoclnview 56-35