Wolves take apart Gentry

Photo by Randy Moll Gentry senior, Jarod Cousins, attempts a shot for two under the basket in play against the Lincoln Wolves on Monday, Dec. 15, at Gentry High School.
Photo by Randy Moll Gentry senior, Jarod Cousins, attempts a shot for two under the basket in play against the Lincoln Wolves on Monday, Dec. 15, at Gentry High School.

GENTRY -- Lincoln was the only 4A-1 boys team to qualify for state last season and the Wolves systematically took apart the Gentry Pioneers, 65-47, on Dec. 16.

Lincoln led 13-10 after one quarter and extended that to 26-15 at half time. Although Gentry warmed up in the second half, the Wolves were in control by the end of the third period, leading 45-28.

Brent Barker's transition bucket opened the scoring for Gentry, but Lincoln scored the next 11 points. Ossy Escareno in-bounded the ball, then entered the playing realm, grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul and made both charity shots.

Justin Brewer scored on a breakaway, with Gentry called for goal tending, and Dylan McConnell created chaos getting a steal and offensive rebound to give Lincoln extra possessions. Colton Barnum cut to the hoop and Escareno found him for a 7-2 Lincoln lead. Another McConnell theft resulted in Payton Hulse's free throw and Barnum used a quick dribble in the high post to set up Shandon Goldman for a 3-pointer.

Matt Juillerat and Barker hit treys sandwiched around an Alex Ellis hoop to keep Gentry within, 13-10, at the end of the first frame. McConnell held the answer for Lincoln, swishing a trifecta and converting Escareno's pin-point bounce pass in transition. Brewer hit a turnaround jumper, and Barnum knocked down a shot from above the free-throw line.

Juillerat came off a screen to break the run with a jump shot before Escareno took a steal hard to the hoop and made a pair of foul shots. Jarod Cousins made a free throw for Gentry, but Barnum scored over a triple team in the low-post. Alec Pitts gave Lincoln quality minutes spelling Hulse to close out the half with an active presence on defense bothering Juillerat and causing a miss, then rebounding at the second quarter buzzer with Lincoln ahead, 26-15.

Juillerat hit a 3-pointer on a kick-out and Wally Dane's old-fashioned 3-point play helped Gentry make it a 5-point game, at 26-21, to start the third. McConnell offset those scores with a trifecta from the right wing and steal of the ensuing in-bounds pass leading to a Hulse 3-pointer.

After the teams exchanged free throws, Lincoln went on a 12-6 run to complete the quarter with a comfortable, 45-28, cushion. McConnell began the spurt by scoring on the low block and then received a bounce pass from Goldman's steal at mid-court to add a lay-up.

Barker beat his man off the dribble for a lay-up, narrowing Gentry's deficit to 39-26, yet the Pioneers could get no closer and trailed by 17 at the end of the third.

Gentry's best chance to make a run came early in the fourth when Dusty Haag went up high to bring in a lob pass and scored in front of the rim, trimming Lincoln's advantage to 45-32.

Instead, Lincoln went up by 20 with Goldman starting and finishing a 15-8 run. The 6-foot-4 junior grabbed a loose ball underneath caused by Barnum flying around the paint. Goldman shook off contact to score a lay-up and took a lead pass to add two more points on Gentry's second goal-tending violation.

Leading 60-40 at that juncture, Lincoln emptied their bench and easily won, 65-47.

Sports on 12/25/2013