Lincoln 73, #3 Pierre 51
I’ll be the first to say that I did not expect this outcome.
Lincoln came out firing on all cylinders from the start, knocking down some big shots and had a strong lead that they never really gave up the entire the game. There was a time in the 3rd quarter where I thought the momentum was starting to swing, but it ended up staying the Pats way the whole game.
Now, this was probably my 3rd or 4th time watching Lincoln, and my 4th time watching Pierre, so I think I can give a fair analysis of the game.
First, this was the most complete game we have seen from the Patriots all year. So far, you could see that the potential was there, but it seemed to be fairly inconsistent. Even their blowout victory against Yankton, it just didn’t seem like Lincoln has felt very comfortable on the court. This was a great matchup for this young group to start to mesh, as Pierre is a tough opponent, but obviously the Pats knew they could play from the start.
Also…Eli Olson have a game! We really haven’t seen any guys step up to the “star” position on any given night besides Elliot Whitney and J.T. Rock, but Olson was electric last night. Having an option off the bench that can boost your team is an underrated asset. Not to mention, the guy only play around 14 minutes last night!
Whitney had a great night and has shown that he has good range, while Rock is, well, Rock. He is going to be a game changer at 7’0″, so being able to work through his post play and kick out to shooters will be crucial to the Patriots season. BUT the critical adjustment last night was on the defensive end, not offensive.
Lincoln ran this hybrid-type press that I really haven’t seen yet in South Dakota this season. It was almost a fast trap style of play, where you really jump on guys once they inbound and try to get some double teams, but you stay mostly on your guy the whole way.
Now, I could be completely off, and they may just be running a standard press, but they ran it so well to their opponent that it looked different. Pierre is a team that thrives off of running fast, and playing hard. But when you are able to slow them down into the halfcourt, it takes away a little of their great athleticism, and forces them to go at Rock if they want to drive.
The Governors also didn’t shoot great last night. Lincoln Kienholz did however hit some absolutely ridiculous 3’s, including a step back at the top of the key that was a high-level shot.
I don’t lower my expectations of Pierre, that much for the loss for 2 reasons:
- They haven’t seen an opponent that tough yet.
- It was their first game in 3 1/2 weeks.
A loss is a loss no matter what way you swing it, but don’t be quick to be like “see they aren’t good.” They are a solid team that ran into another good team that hit them with an approach they hadn’t seen before. The Governors do have to play Washington on Saturday, so there is another test to see where they stand at this point.
Meanwhile, Lincoln hosts Aberdeen on Saturday. I hope we get to see more of this version of the Patriots, because THIS version is a great team!
Friday’s Game
Top Games:
Boys AA: (RV) Yankton @ #5 Mitchell
I’m going to be at this game tonight, and I am excited to see the Kernels play in person. I’ve seen them play online twice, while I’ve probably seen Yankton 3 times on KYNT, so I think I have a good idea of where these teams stand, but I do still have a few question marks.
First, which Yankton team are we going to see? They aren’t really tall, but Jaden Kral has done a good job of filling in the forward position. Otherwise, they have great at the guard position, with Rugby Ryken and Mac Ryken really shooting well as of late. This Bucks team relies a lot on good shooting. The last time they faced a tall team, (aka Lincoln), Yankton struggled to shoot. Granted, it was their worst game of the season, but it was against a similar team to the Kernels. They have bounced back since and scored 70+ in their last 3 games, so I hope we see the good-shooting Bucks against a tall-team tonight in Mitchell.
Second, Mitchell. This team has really not gotten a ton of hype and I’m not sure if they should or not, despite having one of the best players in the state in Augustana Commit Caden Hinker. I don’t want to give them an unfair description, so I want to see them in person. They have cruised against some 1-win teams, but lost to Harrisburg by 9. This would be a big win for them if they can get it tonight.
Girls AA: (RV) Watertown @ #3 O’Gorman
Undefeated Watertown vs O’Gorman?!
Watertown is coming off a huge victory against Brandon Valley in Watertown, and this is their first test on the road. Meanwhile, OG is OG. They are incredibly talented and their only loss is to BV on opening night. The Knights have a matchup against Washington on Monday, so two huge wins could be in the forecast for OG.
Boys A: (RV) Tea Area @ Madison
I said the Titans were better than everyone thought, and they proved it against a solid Vermillion team earlier this week. I want to see if they can match that performance tonight versus Madison, who holds big wins against EP-J (5-2), and Elkton-Lake Benton (4-1), while losing by just 2 against a good Lennox team.
Girls A/B: #5 Dakota Valley @ (RV) Viborg-Hurley
Going to combine the two, because this is going to be a solid matchup. DV already has 8 wins, including a 1-point victory over Corsica-Stickney, while V-H’s only loss is against undefeated Parkston. If Dakota Valley wins, it’s a nice win that shows they are capable of winning the big games, a crucial piece if you are fighting for a state title. Meanwhile, a victory for Viborg-Hurley would be a huge moral booster before they take on Alcester-Hudson and Gayville-Volin.
B: (RV) DRSM @ Estelline-Hendricks
There isn’t any spectacular game going down in B tonight, but I do want to note the Cardinals. They played well against De Smet, took a win against Chester Area, then fell to Deuel up in Brookings. They won 33-25 against Garretson, but I think the Cardinals need to get a good win here, and gain some momentum. I think this team is too good to have the brakes fall off, but Estelline-Hendricks is a solid team, while Elkton-Lake Benton and undefeated Oldham-Ramona-Rutland are their next two games on the schedule.
