MONTICELLO — The Lincoln County girls basketball team has crushed another opponent.

The Lady Patriots jumped on host Wayne County early and rolled to a 69-35 win Tuesday night in a girl/boy basketball doubleheader at Rodney Woods Gymnasium. 

Tuesday’s win was the third straight game in which Lincoln earned a mercy-rule win. The Lady Patriots (3-0) won by margins of 53 and 40 points in their first two outings. The largest lead at Wayne was 37 points, with the running clock invoked with margins of 35 points or more.

“We came out the way we have the last two games and played like we’re capable of,” Lincoln coach Cassandra McWhorter said. “ We need to be ready for every team we face, no matter who they are or where we play.”  

Lincoln had a trio of double-digit scorers in the win, with Kaitlynn Wilks using her power inside to score a game-high 21 points. Emma King finished with 14 points and Maddy Boyle added 12 points. 

That trio provided the bulk of Lincoln’s points in the opening frame. Boyle opened the game with back-to-back buckets as the team opened on an 8-0 run and, after a Zaria Napier putback, King sank two free throws. King followed her foul shots with a 3-pointer then Wilks, who scored seven first-quarter points, hit inside and added a free throw toss to help Lincoln to a 14-3 lead.

While pleased with the win, neither McWhorter nor her team were pleased with all of the team’s play. After jumping out to the 8-0 lead then posting the 11-point lead in the first quarter, Lincoln saw Wayne (0-3) whittle the lead down to five points.

“We had a little lull, though, there in the first half. We missed some shots that have been falling for us,” McWhorter said. “I’ve been waiting to see how we respond when maybe shots aren’t falling. I thought our energy level dropped a little bit. I thought our defensive intensity dropped. The girls weren’t pleased there with how we played right before halftime.”

The Lady Pats led 18-8 with 1:23 left in the first when the Lady Cardinals’ offense surged, pumping in five straight points. Macey Blevins, who led Wayne with 15 points, nailed a 3-pointer late and Alyssa Conn hit inside to make it 18-13. Boyle would answer last for Lincoln, though, scoring just before the buzzer for a 20-13 lead.

Neither team was able to hit early in the second quarter. Blevins sank two free throws for Wayne a minute into the period to make it a five-point game, but the Lady Cards, who finished at 22.7 percent from the field (10-for-44), would not get their first shot to fall until the 2:45 mark. Lincoln, which shot 42.1 percent from the field (24-for-57), took two minutes to put up its first points of the period. 

When King ended Lincoln’s scoring drought in the second with a bucket at the 6:00 mark, she ignited a 10-1 run. King drove inside for another bucket in the run then Wilks went baseline for a basket and followed with four free throws to extend the Lady Patriot lead to 30-16.

Lincoln’s lead never fell below double digits the rest of the way.

The Lady Patriots took a 36-22 lead into the break, then the defense held the Lady Cardinals to just three points in the third quarter. Lincoln rolled off 21 points in the third to post a 57-25 lead, opening the period on an 18-0 run. Wilks had eight of the 18 points, Trinity Shearer had a 3-pointer and a field goal, King also had a 3 and Boyle sank two free throws.

“After the lull, we came back out the second half and did a good job of making sure we took care of business the first three or four minutes of the third quarter,” said McWhorter.

Lincoln opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run off two Boyle free throws and an Anna Lane 3-pointer to invoke the running clock.

Wayne had two players in double figures, with Mallory Campbell scoring 10 points.

Lincoln was 16-for-24 at the foul line and Wayne was 11-for-12. The Lady Patriots had just eight turnovers while the Lady Cards had 17.

After season-opening blowouts, McWhorter says Lincoln has to get ready for some tough opponents this weekend.

“We’ve got a big game Friday night at home against Lafayette,” she said. “They are a good team coming into our place. They beat Southwestern by two last week and it will be a tough, physical, fast ballgame, the kind I like. I’m interested to see the preparation for the rest of the week, staying focused because they know they have to turn right around and play Saturday (Scott High in Mercer’s Premiere Challenge). 

at Wayne Co.

Lincoln 20 16 21 12 – 69
Wayne 13 9 3 10 – 35

LINCOLN (3-0) – Emma King 14, Kaitlynn Wilks 21, Maddy Boyle 12, Trinity Shearer 5, Zaria Napier 2, Anna Lane 8, Ally Lynn 1, Haleigh Releford 4, Savannah Robbins 2. 

WAYNE (0-3) – Haleigh Criswell 3, Macey Blevins 15, Alyssa Conn 2, Mallory Campbell 10, Jacklyn Crabtree 2, Macy Adams 3.