‘Power 5 guys’ help Lincoln Park boys race past Highlands and into Class 4A title game
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Monday, February 27, 2023 | 9:46 PM
Lincoln Park’s Meleek Thomas hits a floater over Highlands’ Jimmy Kunst and Bradyn Foster during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Highlands’ Jordyn Tavarez scores past Lincoln Park’s Dorian McGhee during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Dorian McGhee and Mikey Crawford defend on Highlands’ Jordyn Tavarez a during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal Monday.
Highlands’ Jimmy Kunst scores over Lincoln Park’s Dorian McGhee during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Highlands’ Bradyn Foster scores over Lincoln Park’s Dontay Green during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Dontay Green and Highlands’ Bradyn Foster fight for a rebound during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Brandin Cummings dunks past Highlands’ Cam Reigard during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Meleek Thomas hits a 3-pointer over Highlands’ Chandler Thimons during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Highlands’ Landan Signorella blocks the shot of Lincoln Park’s Brandin Cummings during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Dontay Green defends on Highlands’ Chandler Thimons during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Dontay Green and Dorian McGhee defend on Highlands’ Jordyn Tavarez during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Lincoln Park’s Meleek Thomas drives past Highlands’ Jordyn Tavarez to score during WPIAL Class 4A boys semifinal action Monday.
Meleek Thomas is rated by several scouting services as one of the top sophomore boys basketball players in the country.
Brandin Cummings is a Pitt commit as a junior.
Both showed why they are prized recruits Monday night and helped Lincoln Park make another trip to Petersen Events Center.
Thomas had 28 points, and Cummings scored 21 as the top-seeded Leopards rolled past No. 5 Highlands, 87-64, in the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals at Fox Chapel.
“They jump-start everyone,” Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski said of Cummings and Thomas. “They’re Power 5 guys. They excel in this environment. Large crowds and people pulling against us. They’ve seen it, and I think it is to our advantage at times because they can play in these kinds of conditions.”
The Leopards (24-1) will try to win their fourth WPIAL championship in six years and sixth overall when they play North Catholic at 9 p.m. Friday.
Highlands (21-4) plays Laurel Highlands in the consolation game Wednesday.
Thomas had 21 of his 28 points in the first half. The Leopards put the game into mercy rule in the third quarter on a bucket by Dorian McGhee.
“With the talent they have and the way that they shot it, it doesn’t matter what any coach does. They’re going to come out on top,” Highlands coach Corey Dotchin said. “It’s unfortunate for us that it happened tonight.”
Thomas came out on fire, hitting a pair of 3-pointers, and Cummings also scored six quick points to give the Leopards a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter.
After a timeout, Highlands started to crawl back into it. Cam Reigard sank a pair of 3s, and Bradyn Foster added a couple of baskets to get the Golden Rams to within six.
Cummings nailed a shot from beyond the arc late, and the Leopards led 31-22 after one.
“When we made that run, I felt like we executed our gameplan to the fullest,” Dotchin said. “We just didn’t sustain it and couldn’t consistently do it. Against a team like that, you need to consistently execute in order to win.”
Lincoln Park put the game out of reach in the second, outscoring the Golden Rams, 19-10, to take a 50-32 lead into halftime.
“We felt like we couldn’t have played worse against South Allegheny (in the quarterfinals), but we played defense, and tonight’s game was all about defense,” Bariski said. “That led to our offense. We shot the ball well and rebounded when we had to. Our guys were a little taken back that we had to go 50 miles to play here tonight, but we came to play. We’re OK with playing anywhere, and our guys proved that tonight.”
DeAndre Moye finished with 13 points, and McGee had 12 for Lincoln Park. Jimmy Kunst led Highlands with 17 points. Jordyn Tavarez added 14, Foster scored 13 and Reigard had 12.
Highlands will turn its attention to the state tournament, starting with the consolation game Wednesday.
“It’s another game for us, and we get to extend our season with our seniors that mean so much to this program,” Dotchin said. “We’ll go down there and see what we can do. Hopefully, down the line we get another chance at (Lincoln Park), and, hopefully, it’ll go better.”
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer
Tags: Highlands, Lincoln Park
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