Lincoln coach Kenny Pretlow challenged his team to make a statement in the main event slot of the Tri-State High School Classic, and the Railsplitters delivered with a big second half, led by junior Jahlil Tripp.
Tripp scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in second half to lead Lincoln to a 91–55 victory over Math, Civics and Sciences from Philadelphia Sunday at Gaucho’s Gym in the Bronx. Former coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton and graduated stars Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez were in attendance to watch a very different-looking Lincoln team.
“I told them we needed to make a statement,” Pretlow said. “I think people think Lincoln basketball is no longer one of the top programs in the city.
Lincoln used its strength and length to open the second half with a 12–0 run on eight points from Tripp to increase its lead to 47–25. Tripp said his second-half offensive surge was fueled by his teammates in the locker room at halftime.
“I went into the locker room and spoke to all my teammates,” he said. “They told me to be focused and play strong.”
After Math and Civil Sciences scored four consecutive points, Tripp came back with a layup and finished the quarter with a long three to cap a big frame for the Railsplitters. Lincoln out-scored Math, Civics & Sciences 33–11 in the third quarter. Pretlow said his team was doing everything right during the spurt.
“We ran to our spots, we trusted each other, and we passed the ball,” he said.
The Lincoln defense, which helped break the game open, held St. John’s recruit Samir Doughty to 14 points. Tripp, who guarded him for some of the game, said he just listened to his coach and stuck to the defensive game plan. Senior Ezekiel Charles also defended Doughty.
“We wanted to make a statement, him coming here going to St. John’s,” Tripp said. “Coach told as to ignore all the hype and lock him down, and we did.”
In the first half, Lincoln opened up a 24–13 advantage. Math, Civics and Sciences (4–1) then scored six unanswered points, but the Railsplitters answered back with a 9–0 run of its, own led by the shooting of freshman Tyler Bourne. He scored seven of his 14 points in the first half. Bourne saw this game as one of growth early in his young varsity career.
“It feels good to be playing well, and it’s a big step for me because I am playing with players that are older than me,” Bourne said.
Tripp recognized his freshman teammate’s impact in the game.
“Tyler made a bunch of big threes and had assists,” he said. “We keep his confidence up in practice because he is a freshman. We stay with him throughout practice and the games.”
The Railsplitters improved to 5–0 with the victory, and silenced the hype surrounding Doughty. But even through his team is off to a good start, Pretlow knows there is a lot of basketball left in the season.
“It’s not a dash, it’s a marathon,” Pretlow said. “We are getting better every game and hopefully we are there in the end.”
