Lincoln Park just too much for Trojans

Brandin “Beebah” Cummings and Meleek Thomas look at each other with 20-20 vision. For Lincoln Park boys basketball, they are a sight to behold.

Cummings, a junior who has already committed to Pitt, and Thomas, ranked among the best sophomores in the country, make for one of the best guard combinations, probably in the state.

They both average more than 20 points a game and they were both “average” against North Catholic on Friday night. But average from these two usually means good things for Lincoln Park.

Cummings and Thomas combined for 45 points to lift Lincoln Park to a 71-55 victory against the host Trojans in a big WPIAL Class 4A Section 2 contest. The win pretty much wraps up a section title for Lincoln Park, the Post-Gazette’s No. 1 Class 4A team. The Leopards have a 9-0 section record (16-1 overall) and a two-game lead versus second-place North Catholic (10-6, 6-2).

Cummings averages 23 – and he scored 23, even though his 3-point shot was off, making only 1 of 8.

Thomas, ranked the No. 7 sophomore in the country by Rivals.com, averages 22 – and he scored 22 against North Catholic. Lincoln Park is one of only three teams in the WPIAL to have two players averaging better than 20.

“They’re the two best players in the area, I think,” North Catholic coach Jim Rocco said. “I know the [Royce Parham] kid at North Hills is really good, but these two are just so athletic and their athleticism just overwhelms teams like us.”

Lincoln Park defeated North Catholic, 87-71, earlier this season. For North Catholic to have success this time, Rocco thought his undersized team had to rebound better – and shoot well. The Trojans did neither. Lincoln Park outrebounded North Catholic, 35-18. And North Catholic made only 26% (6 of 23) from 3-point range.

These were two of the top five scoring teams in the WPIAL, entering the game. Lincoln Park was averaging 75.4 points and North Catholic 74.9. And the first quarter had plenty of scoring as Lincoln Park took a 22-16 lead.

Lincoln Park essentially won the game in the second quarter. North Catholic made only 2 of its first 13 field goals in the second quarter and 1 of 9 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Lincoln Park opened up a 34-21 lead with 2:02 left in the half and went ahead by 17 at halftime.

Lincoln Park missed all six of its 3-pointers in the second quarter, but got many second-shot opportunities.

“They outrebounded us the last time we played,” Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski said. “Go look on the board in our locker room for this game. It says, ‘rebound’ real big.”

Thomas and Cummings even were factors on the boards.

“It’s not so much their size that bothers you. It’s the bounce they have and that second bounce on rebounds,” said Rocco, whose team does not have a starter taller than 6-1. “They’re so quick on their second jumps, that second bounce, around the rim. We made them take really, really difficult shots. So we checked off that box. But because of their athleticism, they were able to get put-backs.”

Lincoln Park opened up a 20-point lead in the third quarter two different times. But North Catholic was able to come back and slice the deficit to 49-41 on Max Hurray’s 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. Hurray, a junior guard, finished with 25 points and senior guard Max Rottman added 14.

But Lincoln Park started the third quarter on a 10-3 run to put the game out of reach.

“We have a billion offensive sets to run, but we basically only run two a lot of times because that’s all we need a lot of times,” Bariski said. “I call it organized mayhem. All of our guys are fast and they know how to play their role now.”

The only team to beat Lincoln Park this season is Class 6A Central Catholic. 54-49.

“It’s going to take a special performance from someone in 4A to beat them,” Rocco said. “It’s going to take that and a not-so-special performance by [Lincoln Park].”

Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1975 and Twitter @mwhiteburgh.