Lincoln Park Finally Strikes Gold in Winning WPIAL Boys Class A

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, March 2, 2012 | 7:23 PM

The Lincoln Park Leopards claimed their first WPIAL Boys Class A championships with a 74-57 victory over the Cornell Raiders at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Ryan Hosack scored 27 points to lead the Leopards, Devontae Watson added a triple double with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocked shots before fouling out with 3:01 remaining.

Cornell actually led 4-0, but Lincoln Park scored the next eleven points, grabbing a 17-10 lead after one quarter. Hosack helped the Leopards pull away in the second, he scored 16 points in the half, while Watson controlled the glass and swatted away several shots. Lincoln Park actually led 34-16, a three by Dustin Goins helped Cornell cut the lead to 34-23 at the break.

The third quarter saw 28 fouls called with neither team able to get a good run going. The Leopards led 49-35 going to the fourth, but could not put the game away, going 13 of 23 from the line for the contest. Lincoln Park was able to get up to a 21 point lead, but after Watson fouled out, Cornell was able to cut it to 67-53 with a put back by Dorian Maynard and a Corey Mackey bucket with two minutes to play.

Lincoln Park turned up the heat defensively and a basket by Jaylyn Cottrill and a three pointer by Ryan Skovranko putting the final nail in the Cornell coffin. The very slow pace to the game was nothing like the first of now three wins over Cornell by Lincoln Park this season, a 92-81 victory at Cornell on January 13, the Leopards took the second match up in Midland 76-52 on February 3.

Antonio Kellem ended with 10 points for the Leopards, now 22-4. Lincoln Park had the rebounding edge 40-31, after Watson’s 15, Hosack with 6 boards, Cottrill and B.J. Lipke with 5 each. The Leopards turned the ball over 18 times, seven in the final quarter. Lincoln Park will meet the fourth place team from District 9 in the PIAA first round next Friday.

For Cornell, Mackey led with 18 points, Goins added 13. Rodney Payne had 9 points and 7 rebounds. The Raiders had 15 turnovers. Cornell, now 19-6, will meet the District 10 runner-up in the PIAA bracket, also next Friday.

Tags: Cornell, Lincoln Park