Skyline boys get first playoff win against Lincoln
The Skyline Spartans boys basketball team won 48-32 against the Lincoln Lynx on Tuesday and kept their playoff hopes alive.
The first quarter consisted of strong ball movement and hustle, as Skyline started with a 6-0 run through back-to-back three-pointers from Owen Alderman. The Spartans continued their momentum with two free throws from Leo Houpis and a three from Harper McGillis, extending the lead to 11-1. Lincoln’s Kingston Evans fired back with a three of his own, but it was not enough to slow down Skyline as a contested corner three from Jaiden Walcom capped off another 6-0 run, making the score 17-4 at quarter end.
With their work cut out for them, the Lynx found a way to claw back into the game. Evans got the scoring started with a quick three, but Skyline’s Saif Desouky answered with two free throws. Jude Kashyap quickly responded for the Lynx with a free throw and a shifty bucket to cut the score to 19-10. However, a Lincoln turnover allowed Aalay Shah to find open space and make an easy layup, putting the Spartans back up by double digits. Lincoln fired right back though, as a turnover from Alderman led to a layup from freshman Quincy Duckett and another three from Evans cut the Skyline lead to six, making the score 21-15. But with less than a second left, Houpis hit a buzzer beater three, making the score 24-15 and giving Skyline a nine-point lead heading into halftime.
After the break, Skyline wasted no time breaking the game open. Gavin Simmons made a layup to start the scoring. Even though the Lynx responded with a bucket from Kashyap and a layup from Austin Downing, Simmons continued to do damage from beyond the arc with two more threes, making the score 32-21 with 4:29 left. After a quick free throw from the Lynx, the scoring came to a halt for the next two minutes, until Simmons hit a free throw to bring the Skyline lead to 11 with 1:50 left in the quarter. The score remained the same heading into the fourth quarter with Skyline leading Lincoln 33-22.
With one last chance to come back, the Lynx got the scoring started with two free throws from Luke Dagg, but Houpis quickly answered for the Spartans with a layup to make the score 35-24. From there, Skyline took complete control as Simmons knocked down multiple free throws and a layup to extend the lead to 41-26. Walcom followed with a layup to push the score to 43-26 and free throws from Desouky and McGillis kept the Lynx at bay. Despite a few late buckets from Lincoln, Simmons sealed the game with a layup to make it 46-28, and McGillis added two free throws to put the game completely out of reach. The Lynx added a couple of late consolation layups, but it was not enough as Skyline closed out the game with a final score of 48-32.
The Skyline boys basketball team will play at Redmond for their next playoff game on Feb. 14, with tipoff at 4:00 p.m.
