GARLAND — Dallas Lincoln missed all 14 of its 3-point attempts, had a stretch in which it made only 1 of 9 free throws and didn’t make a shot from farther than 12 feet Friday night.
And yet the Tigers won by 15.“They stepped it up on the defensive end,” coach Carlesa Dixon said after Lincoln beat Mansfield Summit 48-33 in a Class 4A Region II semifinal. “Defense is the key for us.”That was how Lincoln (34-4), which is No. 2 in the 4A state rankings, pulled away from Summit (23-13), the defending 4A champion.Keanna Kelly led Summit with 11.Lincoln’s tenacious, full-court defense forced more than 30 turnovers and it turned many of them into layups.Junior guard Alisha Washington led Lincoln with 22 points.She scored seven points in the second quarter when Lincoln, which is one win from its 12th state appearance, took the lead for good.Lincoln was scoreless for the game’s first four minutes and Summit jumped to a 6-0 lead.But Lincoln scored on a steal and layup that was the first of many to come.The Tigers, who have won three state titles since 1999, made four layups in a two-minute span to turn a 13-11 deficit into a 19-11 lead midway through the second quarter.The transition baskets were the perfect remedy for the icy outside shooting.“Get some steals and some layups,” Dixon said. “That’s what we say.”Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
