Friday night was a birthday to remember for Lincoln Lutheran’s Luke Volin.
Going up against crosstown rival Lincoln Christian, the Warriors and Crusaders boys basketball teams went toe-to-toe all night long, and the game fittingly came down to the final shot. With 5.6 seconds left, Lincoln Christian inbounded the ball and passed to its leading scorer on the night, Justin Bubak.
Bubak was met by a crowd of Warriors, but it was Volin who made his mark, with a game-winning block to give Lincoln Lutheran the 54-53 win. After the game, his teammates and the Warrior student section sang him 'Happy Birthday' on the court, sealing an eventful birthday for the senior.
“It was really special, because it’s my birthday and my senior year and to go out on a win like this is awesome,†Volin said.
With Warrior fans packing the risers of a crowded gym, Lincoln Christian (2-1) started the game sloppily as it struggled to come to grips with the Warriors’ aggressive zone defense. The Crusaders shot 2-7 from the free-throw line and missed a breakaway dunk in the first quarter, which ended with the Warriors (3-1) up 17-14.
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Lincoln Christian’s Bubak began to heat up in the second quarter, as his 15 first-half points powered the Crusaders to a 32-29 halftime lead.
At halftime, Lincoln Lutheran coach Jason Glines told his team if they were going to win, it would be because of toughness. That toughness showed quickly, as switching between man-to-man and zone defense seemed to slow down the surging Bubak.
He finished with a game-high 25 points, followed by Ashton Carlson with 10, but the undersized Warriors held their own against the 6-foot-11 Easton Marshbanks and 6-6 Drew Bueklemen, who combined for six points.
Meanwhile, Volin and Joshua Pelz elevated their game in the second half, as they scored 18 of their team’s 25 points in the half.
“It just slowed down in the second half,†Volin said. “First half, there were nerves and everyone was running really fast, but second half we just slowed it down.â€
A wide-open layup from Volin gave the Warriors a three-point lead with under three minutes to play, but Bubak quickly answered with a layup and the Crusaders’ full-court press resulted in a number of Warrior turnovers, including both of their final possessions.
“I need to do a better job getting us ready for end of the game situations, handling the press and handling the ball at the end because we gave it to them a couple of times,†Glines said.
In the end, the Warrior’s second-half surge was enough to secure the win as Puelz finished with 13 points, followed by Volin with 12. After being mobbed by his teammates and congratulated by fan after fan, it was hard to stop Volin from smiling.
After all, it was a birthday worth remembering.
Lincoln Christian girls 46, Lincoln Lutheran 21
Top-ranked Lincoln Christian used a strong first-half effort to improve to 3-0, as Olivia Hollenbeck scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half.
Makylee Ailes scored eight points and Alexis Johnson added six more for the Crusaders. Shanae Bergt and Lexie Kreizel tied for the team lead with six points apiece for the Warriors.