Lincoln boys basketball wins 3-overtime thriller over Washington 83-81

When Washington guard Tryg Auten’s 3-pointer fell through the rim, Lincoln senior guard Gage Gohl knew he didn’t even need to inbound it. There were four seconds left. Gohl was allowed five before he threw the ball in and the Patriots led by two. So, he tucked the ball beneath his arm and pumped his fist.

“We’ve been on the wrong end of it this year,” Gohl said, referring to when Jefferson ran the clock out on Lincoln after a late-game make earlier this season. “As soon as that last shot went in, I saw there were four seconds left and I knew we had it.”

The savvy play brought an end to a three-overtime thriller at Lincoln High School on Thursday, with the Patriots (5-5) topping Washington (5-4) 83-81. The game featured a 29-point performance by Warriors point guard Mikele Kambalo, two buzzer-beaters and, in the end, a “statement” win for Lincoln, which sent its season in a new direction by securing a win over a team that Patriots head coach Jeff Halseth had high praise for.

“It’s big, it’s big,” Halseth said of the win. “Anytime the city schools get together, you’re going to get a slugfest out there.”

Gohl had 20 points Thursday, having what he called his “best game” despite wearing a face mask to protect stitches below his left eye from an elbow to the face he sustained in the Patriots’ last game. Lincoln senior forward Saif Shah had 12 points, including six in the third overtime. Washington’s Cole Peterson had 17 points to add to Kambalo’s 29.

Before the game unraveled into chaos, it was a straightforward back-and-forth.

Within the first few minutes, Lincoln forward JT Rock (14 points) was already waving his arms. The 7-foot-1 sophomore stole an early-first quarter pass and took it back all the way to the other end, leaving his feet outside the right block and slamming the ball into the rim, swinging as he hung.

Lincoln was alive. Rock tried siphoning the crowd to play off the early energy, but Washington countered by slowing the pace. Warriors point guard Mikele Kambalo scored five quick points and their half-court, quick-passing offensive sets helped them inch away from the Patriots. The Warriors led by nearly 10, but opportunistic 3’s and more inconsistent shooting pulled them within — on separate runs — four, then three, then two.

Patriots point guard Elliot Whitney hit Gohl for a 3-pointer. Then Gohl scored a layup off a 3-point miss by Rock. On the second-to-last possession of the half, Whitney caught a pass in transition and, leaning toward the baseline, knocked in an off-balance 3 to cut it to two points before the half, 30-28 Washington.

In the third quarter, Lincoln went ahead by five. Then Washington scored five straight, including a buzzer-beating layup by guard/forward Mandalla Mohamed as the period expired. It was 42-42 heading into what was thought to be the final quarter, and Lincoln was on the verge of pulling it off.

Shah hit forward Caleb Hiatt for an and-1, then Hiatt missed the free throw and Gohl cleaned up the miss with an offensive rebound and finish. But then the Patriots started to crumble: Rock was stripped by halfcourt by Noah Robertson, which led to two points. Lincoln fouled Cole Peterson with 11.1 seconds left to cut the game to two points. Gohn missed the first of two free throws with a chance to push the lead to four.

Kambalo's basket forces first overtime

Washington, still, had just one chance to tie. So, they put it in Kambalo’s hands, he found space before the buzzer and rose.

“No pressure at all,” Kambalo said of the shot.

It fell. Lincoln players placed their hands on their heads as Kambalo backpedaled and yelled toward the ceiling.

That moment, and a lot that followed, could have been it for the Patriots, Halseth noted. Kambalo started the first overtime with a layup. Washington scored to start second overtime, too. But the Patriots weathered it. They fought back, went ahead and made the Warriors fight back when it mattered. The second overtime ended with the game tied at 76.

In the third overtime, two unanswered 3-pointers by Shah finally gave the Patriots the advantage. With under two minutes left, Auten handled the ball for a Washington team that needed a basket down six. Gohn noticed Auten handling it loosely in his left hand, trying to keep it away from the Lincoln defenders that collapsed to his right.

Gohn darted for the ball and knocked it out of Auten’s hands, trickling out of bounds off Auten. Lincoln started to sense things coming to an end, and Shah and guard Khalil Cisse rarely allowed Gohn to pick himself off the floor before shoving him in celebration.

The PA announcer had to prepare for four endings to the game, so as the third overtime came to a close, they reminded the students in attendance again: Please stay off the court. But as the buzzer sounded, it was already forgotten. Lincoln students rushed and a wall of adults threw their bodies in front before they got too far.

Behind them, Lincoln frenzied. Gohn flexed his arms and skipped towards the end of the bench, slapping hands with Cisse, bumping the chest of a teammate and finding Halseth at the end, wrapping him in a hug.

“We never give up,” Gohn said. “We got guys cramping all over the place. Everyone stays ready. Whether it’s the first quarter or the end of third overtime, everyone’s ready to come in and chip in for their part.”

Follow Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter @mikejmccleary.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: High school boys basketball: Lincoln wins thriller over Washington