It was just a couple of weeks ago that the Washington Warriors and Lincoln Patriots put on a show, and now they meet again tonight with district implications on the line.

Washington (12-1) defeated Lincoln (8-2) in the first meeting 63-59 on January 15. Sam Siganos led Washington with 19 points, while Cole Benson powered his way in the paint for 14. The Warriors dominated the second and third quarters outscoring the Patriots 34-26.

Lincoln wouldn't go quietly though. In the 4th quarter, the Patriots managed to cut the Warrior lead down to three before Washington went on a final run to seal the victory. The Patriots were led by Malik Dunn's 15 points. Addison Park added 11 while Cayden Ransom provided a spark off the bench with 11. As a team, the Patriots scored 27 of 59 points from beyond the arch.

The courts change tonight as Lincoln has the opportunity to host their rival on their home floor. Washington has played three more games at this point of the season, but hold that one game advantage over Lincoln. Tonight's winner will receive 50 points to add to their average, while the loser will gain 39.

Essentially if Washington wins tonight, it will become difficult for Lincoln to jump them in the standings for District II. If Lincoln were to lose, they would need to hope that teams like Brookings (3-7), Rapid City Stevens (6-8), and Rapid City Central (6-6) defeat Washington to help them in seed points. Standings for the Districts are based on seed points (average W/L of opponents based on structure) rather than overall record.

But if Lincoln wins, the script becomes a very tight race to the finish to end the season. With a win, Lincoln will trail Washington in seed points by .09. Yes, .09. Lincoln still has nine games left to play after tonight, compared to Washington with just six.

If tonight is even half the game as their previous meeting, we are all in for a treat. These two teams match up almost identically, and both are able to attack from any position on the floor. It has made for some interesting contests over the last few years.

Coverage of tonight's game from the Lincoln will begin at 7:00 PM on ESPN 99.1 and ESPN991.com. Jerry Palleschi will have the call.

 

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