Lancers “Ram” their way to district win

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

DEFIANCE — The turnaround season continues for Lincolnview.

A year after finishing 5-18, the Lancers have put together a 19-5 season, a Northwest Conference championship, a sectional championship and now, a spot in the Division VI district title game after beating No. 5 seed Tinora 59-45 at Defiance High School Wednesday night.

Lincolnview received contributions from several players. Max Hammons scored six points in the first quarter as the Lancers took a 13-5 lead, and the junior guard went 10-for-10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter on the way to a 23 point night. Gavin Evans finished with a double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Holden Price buried three treys and went on to finish with 12 points. The Lancers led by as many as 21 and defensively, Lincolnview held the Rams to just 26 points through three quarters.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge,” Lincolnview head coach Brett Hammons said. “Tinora’s a really good team and they made it to the districts for a reason and we had to be ready to roll. I thought we started the game really well by getting out to that lead. I thought we battled and I thought our defense was really good tonight.”

“We been kind of suspect at times with our defense but I thought we did a good job of keeping them to one and done and just playing our game,” he added. “I thought in this game we kept to our pace and our style of play.”

Lincolnview led 25-15 at halftime and 40-25 after three quarters. Evans scored five points in the second quarter and Price tallied five points in the third quarter.

The Lancers had just five turnovers in the game and converted 16-of-24 foul shots, including 12 straight in the final period.

“Those have been two staples of our season,” Hammons said. “There are times we’re going to turn it over but when you keep it to single digits and when you shoot well from the free throw line down the stretch, we give ourselves opportunities to continue to win games.”

Lincolnview finished the night 19-of-35 shooting, while Tinora was 17-of-35 and 5-of-10 from the foul line. The Rams had three players in double figures – Josh Lieb, who finished with 13 points, including six in the fourth quarter; Grant Lymanstall, who had 12 points, and Parker Hancock, who scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Lancers will face No. 2 seed Gibsonburg (21-3) in the district finals at Lake High School at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Golden Bears advanced to district title game by defeating Maumee Valley Country Day 62-60 Wednesday night.

“I don’t know a whole lot about them,” Hammons said. “We focus one game at a time and we were focused on Tinora. We’ll find out more obviously, but they’re a very good team with 20-plus wins and we just have to be ready to go. We’ll get as much information as we can and try to start prepping.”

Saturday’s Lincolnview vs. Gibsonburg district championship game will air live on 99.7FM WKSD.

Box score

Lincolnview  13  12  15  19 – 59

Tinora            5  10  11  19 – 45

Lincolnview: Holden Price 4-1-12; Max Hammons 6-10-23; Zander Coil 1-0-2; Gavin Evans 5-5-15; Chayse Overholt 2-0-5; Marshall Hammons 1-0-2

Tinora: Owen Ferrell 2-0-5; Dylan Schaufele 1-1-3; Kody Bumb 1-0-2; Parker Hancock 4-0-10; Josh Lieb 4-4-13; Grant Lymanstall 5-0-12