Tis past week, regional play started for area basketball teams. It is win or go home time and the pressure is sometimes too much for teams to overcome. However, there are some coaches that seem to flourish when the heat is on and one of those leaders is Lincoln’s Jordan Toth. Toth always seems to have his team ready to play and, if needed, a trick up his sleeve to daze and confuse the opposition.
Heading into postseason play this past Friday against Moorefield, Toth had his squad playing the best basketball of the season. After a slow start to the campaign, Toth and his team became one of the hottest teams in North Central West Virginia. After upending the Yellow Jackets last weekend, the Cougars have now won six of their last eight games.
The strong finish earned Lincoln a number three seed, allowing them to host Moorefield. Toth had eight days between the final regular season tilt and this matchup. Which typically does not end well for opponents. Lincoln came out bombing away from deep and their hot shooting start propelled them to a 20 to 11 lead after one period of play. The Yellow jackets would outscore the hosts by three points in the second stanza, but they would not pose a threat in the second half.
Three-point shooting was the difference in the outcome of this clash as the Cougars would score half of their total points from downtown. When the dust settled, Lincoln had made 12 threes to one for Moorefield.
The Cougars were led by Cole Vincent’s 26 points, including four three-pointers. Sharp shooter Luke Joyce hit four three-pointers and was three of four from the foul line, totaling 15 points. Max Myers chipped in with 10 points, including a pair of deep balls. A. J. Bart netted five points and pulled down a team high seven rebounds in the win.
Lincoln travels to Frankfort tonight (March 12) with a bid to the Class AA state tournament on the line. The Lincoln girls’ team advanced to Charleston earlier.
The Cougars lost their lone regular season lock up with Frankfort 72 to 61 in Shinnston. That battle took place on Martin Luther King Day just a few games before Lincoln went on its run. The Falcons stumbled into the postseason losing three of their final four regular season games, including a 58 to 54 setback to Moorefield on Feb 24.
West Virginia University’s men’s basketball team also picked up a big win last Friday in Morgantown. A senior night victory over the University of Central Florida evened up their conference record at nine and nine and gives them the eighth seed in the Big 12 Tournament. That will provide first year head coach Russ Hodge and his squad an opening round bye. The Mountaineers will have to make a deep run, if not win the tournament, to obtain a ticket to the “big dance.”
It won’t be easy, as the Mountaineers will not be able to draw on the energy from the 11,312 fans that showed up in Morgantown to say good-bye to the seniors. If WVU doesn’t go dancing, there is always the National Invitational Tournament. Hodge is familiar from his Green Machine days. One way or another, postseason play should be in the picture and I’m sure it won’t matter to Mountaineer fans where it is.
That will do it for now. Until next time . . . take care and God Bless!
