By Bill Nestor
This past Thursday brought a rematch between Lincoln and Robert C. Byrd. The Flying Eagles won the first matchup at One Eagle Way and this battle was set to take place in Shinnston. Cougar Country is a difficult place to play for opponents and Robert C. Byrd head coach Basil Lucas knew his team would have its work cut out for it.
Cougar head coach Jordan Toth had a brilliant game plan coming in and it caught the Flying Eagles off guard. Lincoln went to a one-three chaser with a defender (usually Brody Barnes) on RCB leading scorer Logan Boyce. Heading into the lock-up, Boyce was averaging a shade over 21 points per game. The defense was effective, limiting Boyce to just four first quarter points.
Another solid decision by Toth was starting freshman Cole Vincent. Vincent responded by scoring eight first period points, helping his team to a 12 to 12 tie. The Flying Eagles went to the pressure defense in the second stanza. It led to a handful of transition buckets and, eventually, a 31 to 18 lead heading into the halftime break.
Toth would rally the troops during the break and his team would respond with an impressive effort in the third quarter. Lincoln would outscore their opponents 14 to 13 behind a six point effort in the canto by Aiden Rice.
The final frame started with Lucas pulling the ball out and forcing the Cougars to come out of the one-three chaser. The plan worked for the visitors as Carson Bennett would net six of his team high 18 points to help to preserve the Robert C. Byrd win 56 to 45.
Boyce and Rylee Dickerson each chipped in with 13 points a piece.
Vincent led Lincoln with a game-high 19 points while Rice finished with 14 in the affair.
West Virginia’s men’s basketball team has struggled since mid-January. Since the setback to Housaton on the 15th, the Mountaineers were three and five heading into this past Saturday’s game at Baylor. With an overall record of 15 and nine and a losing record ( six and seven) in the Big 12 Conference, this battle with the Bears was almost a must-win for WVU.
Baylor held a five point halftime lead, but a strong second half, putting 40 points on the board to force overtime. The offensive onslaught was short-lived as West Virginia would only manage six points in overtime and drop a 74 to 71 decision in OT.
Next up for the Mountaineers is a trip to Lubbock, Texas for a lock-up with Texas Tech this Saturday. After that, there are just four regular season games remaining, TCU, BYU, Utah, and UCF are the final opponents before the Conference tournament that will take place March 11 through 15 in Kansas City.
This past week, Harrison County lost a great man. John Cooper passed away at the age of 66. Coop was the Clarksburg City Parks Superintendent for 42 years. He was the man behind the building of the Splash Zone and Ampitheater, two of the biggest and best around.
He worked tirelessly to bring the best each and every day, touching the lives of many along his journey. He was a true family man, dedicated in every sense of the word. Coop loved basketball and that is where we crossed paths.
He was my broadcast partner for several years. The memories I have of him are countless and forever will remain cherished. I’m blessed to have been able to call him my friend and his passing will cause a void in my life, as well as many others. He did everything the right way and left the blueprint for success. Work as hard as you possibly can and treat everyone the very best that you can!
That will do it for now. Until next week . . . take care and God Bless!