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Lincoln sent its message loud and clear against St. Raymond’s on Sunday: the Railsplitters are ready to make a run in one of the toughest divisions in the city – the PSAL’s Brooklyn AA Division.
In a hyped matchup at the Nike vs. Under Armour Showcase at Christ the King HS in Middle Village, Queens, Lincoln completely dominated the Ravens, jumping out to a double-digit lead just five minutes into the game en route to a 78-52 win.
Even though Lincoln (13-2) has dominated its division in recent years, critics said Lincoln would not be the same this year after longtime coach Dwayne (Tiny) Morton took a job as an assistant coach at Seton Hall, where former Railsplitters star Isaiah Whitehead also went.
“We knew that a lot of people were going to doubt us because Coach Tiny left,” senior forward Ezekiel Charles said. “But it’s a Lincoln program, he built that and so it’s about playing basketball at the end of the day. We’re going to come out with intensity and try to get the job done.
“There’s not a star player on our team, but everybody makes the whole team. That’s why we’re hard to beat. You don’t know what game somebody may be clicking, but the team is always clicking as a whole.”
Even though the Railsplitters may not have any individual stars, first-year Lincoln coach Kenny Pretlow – who was a longtime assistant under Morton – loves what he sees in his five starters as a unit.
“I’ve got willing passers, I’ve got five stars, five kids averaging double figures,” Pretlow said. “You’re not coming into a game against us and saying we’re going to take him away and their offense is done. All of them are playing the way I want. I tell them that when five guys are playing well, it’s tough to defend.”
