Lance Stephenson showed the Ellis Davis Field House crowd of 3,500 that he is as good as advertised, if not better.
But Stephenson, the 6-5 standout for Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln, couldn't do it alone against a very talented Duncanville team Thursday. Stephenson turned in a monster performance, but Duncanville – with five players scoring in double figures – earned a quality win.
Duncanville defeats Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln, 77-57
12-11-2008
Duncanville defeated Lincoln, 77-57, in the Old Spice High School Showcase. Duncanville (7-2) outscored Lincoln, 42-21, in the second half after trailing at halftime.
"This was a big win. You want to play well in your home state in a game like this," Duncanville coach Phil McNeely said. "We're getting better. We're making progress."
Stephenson, one of the nation's top-ranked unsigned recruits, finished with a game-high 32 points.
"We didn't come out strong enough. We just weren't focused," Stephenson said. "We weren't expecting [Duncanville] to be this good."
Duncanville opened with a 20-4 first-quarter lead, but Lincoln caught fire in the second. Stephenson tied the score, 33-33, with a 3-pointer at the 48-second mark, and Darwin Ellis gave Lincoln the lead, 36-33, with a trey 33 seconds later. Lincoln took a 36-35 lead into the locker room.
But Duncanville played smart basketball in the second half. Offensively, it spread the ball around. Defensively, it used a 3-2 zone to frustrate Lincoln.
"They were playing a zone, and I couldn't go anywhere," Stephenson said. "I had to find ways to get my shot off."
Texas signee Shawn Williams scored 20 points, and Oklahoma State signee Roger Franklin had 17 for Duncanville.
Baylor commitment Perry Jones (11 points), Julian Washburn (11) and Oklahoma State signee Reger Dowell had 10.