Second-quarter surge puts Lincoln County in Sweet 16 semifinals for first time
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2022 Boys’ Sweet 16 coverage
Click below to read all of the coverage from Kentucky.com and the Lexington Herald-Leader during the Boys’ Sweet 16 State Basketball Tournament in Rupp Arena.
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Lincoln County said, “I’ll have another.”
Fresh off its first state-tournament win since 1975, the Patriots qualified for their first “Final Four” by toppling North Oldham, 56-46, in the UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16 quarterfinals Friday morning.
A pulverizing second quarter proved most consequential to the Patriots’ cause. They outscored the Mustangs 18-6 in the period after trailing 12-11 through the first eight minutes, and kicked off the second with a 12-0 run. North Oldham, making its first Sweet 16 appearance this season, never got closer than eight points the rest of the game.
BOX SCORE: Lincoln County 56, North Oldham 46
“We just told our kids to keep playing,” Lincoln County head coach Jeff Jackson said when asked about his message between the first and second quarters. He also reemphasized to his team the need to keep North Oldham at bay on the offensive glass, and the message seemed to stick: The Patriots won the overall rebounding battle, 29-25, with 24 of them from the North Oldham basket.
“It was the number one key we felt going into the game, that we had to neutralize them on the glass as much as we could do,” Jackson said. “They’re a very, very good offensive rebounding team and I thought we did a really good job checking them out a little farther on the floor, and our kids battled with them inside.”
Tramane Alcorn scored nine of his team-high 15 points during the decisive second-quarter run, and assisted on the Patriots’ only other make in that stretch, a three-pointer by Jackson Sims.
“Tramane can score, and he attacks that basket really, really well,” Jackson said. “He did a good job defensively, got a couple of steals and got out in transition. He’s a heck of a player, and I’m glad he’s just a junior.”
Ian Higdon had game highs with 20 points and 10 rebounds for North Oldham, which pulled to within single digits a couple times in the final minutes but couldn’t trap Lincoln County efficiently enough down the stretch as it ramped up its pressure. A 6-for-13 clip at the free-throw line — several of them the front ends of 1-plus-1 opportunities — didn’t aid their cause, nor did a 2-for-16 performance from long range.
Lincoln County made as many three-pointers as it did regular baskets. It finished 9-for-18 from distance, paced by Sims and Colton Ralston, who had two each. Ralston, who hit a game-winning jumper to send Lincoln County to the Sweet 16 and a go-ahead triple from NBA range late in its first-round win over Jeffersontown, stymied a 7-0 North Oldham run in the third quarter with a long shot. That ignited a second Patriots spurt.
“I think any of us can hit that shot, to be honest,” Ralston said. “Whoever takes it, I think it’s always going in.”
Jalen Smith, the younger brother of Lincoln veteran Jaxon Smith, has gotten some run in the Sweet 16 after not playing much throughout the season. He hit a triple to put the Patriots up by 18 with 25 seconds to play in the third quarter.
“He hit a huge three and gave us a momentum swing tonight,” Jaxon said. “I was super proud of him.”
Lincoln County’s next foe, Clark County or Pikeville, will be picked to beat it in Saturday morning’s semifinals. Both dominated their respective regions and were a combined 66-3 going into their quarterfinal showdown.
But, it’s March, and the Patriots will have more time to scout than any other team left in the field. They also have one of just two coaches in the field who’s guided a school to a state title; Jackson did that with University Heights Academy back in 1992.
“It’ll be a big challenge for our kids tomorrow, but one that we’re looking forward to,” Jackson said.
BOYS’ SWEET 16
What: Sixteen-team tournament to decide Kentucky’s high school basketball state champion.
When: Wednesday through Saturday
Where: Rupp Arena
Tickets: Tickets available for purchase at KHSAA.org.
BOYS’ SWEET 16 SCORES, SCHEDULE
At Rupp Arena
Wednesday’s games
Lincoln County 45, Jeffersontown 41
North Oldham 36, Muhlenberg County 32
Clark County 77, Perry County Central 36
Pikeville 59, North Laurel 51
Thursday’s games
Warren Central 57, Male 54 (OT)
Lyon County 82, John Hardin 65
Murray 57, Henry Clay 53
Covington Catholic 76, Ashland Blazer 65
Friday’s quarterfinals
Lincoln County 56, North Oldham 46
Clark County (34-1) vs. Pikeville (32-2)
Covington Catholic 59, Lyon County 57
Warren Central 54, Murray 48
Saturday’s semifinals and finals
11 a.m.: Lincoln County (31-7) vs. Clark County (35-1)
1:30 p.m.: Covington Catholic (30-4) vs. Warren Central (28-3)
7 p.m.: Championship game
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 2:00 PM.
