Lady Lynx battle Darby Lady Tigers to OT standoff

The first home hoops game for the Lincoln Lady Lynx tipped off Friday night, Dec. 20, against the Lady Tigers from Darby in a close nail-bitter contest that saw the lead change back and forth eight times.

The Lynx starting five averaged three inches taller than the short but quick Lady Tigers, and the Lincoln gals used their height advantage to hold the lead in scoring for the entire first half of the game.

Led by experienced seniors Sage Kamps and Alexis Cannon, the starting five Lynx included senior Makenzie Storey, junior Lindsey Weisner and sophomore Alyvia Blotkamp, who may only be 5-foot-2-inches tall but whose stature increases every time she sinks a 3-pointer from beyond the arc.

The third period was a "draw" with both teams advancing by five points and tying up the score 27 - 27 going into the fourth quarter. With only seconds left in the game at 34 - 31, the win looked like it was in the bag for Lincoln. Suddenly, from almost half court, a lady Tiger buried a three point shot to tie up the game (again) and send both sides into overtime. Said one fan in the Lincoln bleachers, "This is killing me!"

Despite the Lady Tigers being in foul trouble, which put Lincoln at the charity stripe for every Darby infraction, the Lady Lynx only posted one point in OT to six points for the Tigers. The final, 35 - 40, was an unexpected disappointment for everyone from Lincoln.

Six-foot Cannon was the scoring and rebounding leader with 10 points followed by team co-captain Kamps with nine points and a blazingly fast full-court dribble. Sophomore Jenna Templeton, usually in double digits, was sitting out this game while her injured ankle healed, but Blotkamp filled in for her with her usual high energy defense and seven points of offense.

Freshmen Jessica Zarske and Jaylin Lewenight exhibited very aggressive play and courageous shooting in the overtime period. Showing skill greater than their years, these athletic ladies will be holding down key positions in future basketball matches, giving solid backup for the starters. The next home game for the Lynx is Friday, Jan. 3 against Victor.