Friday, January 30, 2009

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – Lincoln’s Daquan Pettiford has been a one of North Jersey’s most clutch players over the past two seasons. From being named the MVP in the HCIAA-Coviello title game as a sophomore to leading the Lions on a magical run last year to their first state title, he has shown himself to be a quality player that plays big in big games.

But as a sophomore he had seniors Derrick McCord and Farod Robinson leading the way and last year it was sharpshooter Tymel Jackson. If the Lions were going to add another banner to their recent winning history, it was imperative that Pettiford become more of a leader on the floor.

While it took awhile to get him acclimated to his new role, Pettiford has taken the challenge head on. The 6-3 senior is gaining confidence as the season goes on and Lincoln appears headed for another postseason run. Yesterday that spelled bad news for HCIAA-Coviello foe Hudson Catholic.

Pettiford notched a career-high 33 points, including 19 of 24 from the free-throw line, along with a game-high 14 rebounds as Lincoln pulled away late for a 67-57 victory at Hudson Catholic High School.

“Daquan (Pettiford) really kept us under control and everyone is following his lead,” said Lincoln head coach Troy Smith. “Now I’m telling Jamal (McDaniels) that he has to step into a larger role and he has accepted that. We are starting to click at the right time. Every win in this league a big one.”

Hudson Catholic controlled play in the first quarter and Brian Eatman’s driving layup put the Hawks ahead, 11-8, after one quarter. The Lions then turned up the defensive pressure and an already physical game got even more physical. That led to both teams being in the double-bonus by the midway point of the second quarter. Pettiford hit 11 of his 12 first-half free throws as Lincoln grabbed a five-point lead at the half, 36-31.

“Our shot selection was not good in the second quarter and it hurt us,” said Hudson Catholic head coach Damal Ling. “We took bad shots and we didn’t hit our free throws. We tried to do too much individually in the second quarter, and then spent the rest of the game trying to make up for it.”

Andrew Kemp’s three-pointer cut the lead down to one midway through the third quarter, 40-39. Stepping into Pettiford’s old supporting role has been lightning-quick guard McDaniels. He had consecutive layups to get Lincoln back on track as they took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter.

A layup by Eatman got the Hawks back within two with just over five minutes to play. Lincoln’s defense bent several times over the final three quarters but did not break. Pettiford and Kip Smith each hit a pair of free-throws to give the Lions some cushion.

Hudson Catholic’s last chance came with just over a minute to play when Kemp’s three-pointer was off the mark and Pettiford pulled down the rebound. He was then intentionally fouled with 1:04 to play and nailed both foul shots to ice the game.

Kemp led Hudson Catholic (6-11, 4-7 HCIAA-Coviello Division) with 23 points. Eatman had 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists, but the Hawks shot a dismal 50 percent (14 of 28) from the charity stripe, while Lincoln hit 75.7 percent (28 of 37). The loss knocked Hudson Catholic out of contention for a state tournament berth, but it is still alive for a berth in the HCIAA-Coviello playoffs. That is a good sign being that St. Peter’s Prep had to win on the last day of the regular season to sneak into the tournament as the No. 8 seed before pulling off three straight upsets to claim the title.

“We’re disappointed about the loss and not making the states, but there is still plenty to play for,” added Ling. “I told my seniors that it’s totally up to us. We have tough games, but games we can certainly win. Hopefully we can go up to North Bergen (tonight) and get a win there and get on a roll to make the counties like we did last year.”

McDaniels had 14 points and Kip Smith scored all of his nine points in the second half for Lincoln (10-4, 6-3 HCIAA-Coviello Division). Pettiford was a key ingredient, but one of many, to Lincoln winning its first-ever state title last year in Group 2. However, the fate of this Lions is mainly in the hands of Pettiford. Fortunately for them, he has grown from a talented, brash player trying to make his mark into a mature leader that is confident when the game is on the line.

“My confidence is through the ceiling right now and I think that comes with the experiences I’ve had and the success we’ve had as a team,” said Pettiford. “Every time I take a shot, especially when I’m taking free-throws, I just worry about making it. I never think for a second that I’ll miss, and I just forget about it if I do.”

“The run we made in the states last year was the best time of my life. I’ll always remember that. But on the other hand, that was last year. This year, this team, we’re trying to create our own legacy. Every win we get is another step towards getting that feeling back and I want to be the one to lead us there.”

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