Emoni Bates of Ypsilanti Lincoln High School scored 42 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in an 83-56 win over Jackson. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
ESPN ranked Ypsilanti Lincoln High School basketball player Emoni Bates as the number high school basketball recruit in America.
And he is only a sophomore.
Bates was as good as advertised Monday scoring 42 points as Lincoln defeated Jackson 83-56 at McDonald Athletic Center on the campus of Spring Arbor University.
The defending state Division 1 state champions improved to 8-1 overall with the win, while Jackson fell to 3-7. The Railsplitters are 6-0 in the SEC White Division and Jackson is 2-4.
The game was played at Spring Arbor due to parking concerns, according to Jackson Public School Director of Athletics Jack Fairly.
“It was a win-win situation for both schools,” Fairly said. “We have more capacity in our gym, but they have better parking.”
The arena features state-of-the-art lighting, collegiate style seating, two scoreboards, a video highlight board and a seating capacity of more than 2,000.
JPS will receive gate money from the contests and SAU will invoice the district for student employees used to facilitate the contest. Jackson brought its security to supplement the SAU effort.
Security was tight all night as officers used wands to check those coming into the game and escorted Ypsilanti Lincoln to the bus following the game.
Presale tickets were not offered, the ticket office opened at 4:30 p.m. at SAU, and the game was announced as a sellout following the first quarter of the girls’ varsity contest at approximately 6 p.m.
“Spring Arbor representatives said there were people lined up at 2:30 p.m. to purchase tickets,” Fairly said. “The game was originally a single boys’ varsity contest, but the league is pushing for more doubleheaders.”
Fairly said this may be the last time Jackson area residents can drive such as short distance to see Bates. Lincoln is considering moving to the Red Division of the SEC.
Bates lived up to the hype in the boys’ varsity contest. He scored 20 points in the first half and stepped it up in the second half for 22 more points. His combination of ball handling, 3-point shooting, and the ability to drive was too much for three players who defended Bates.
“You have to understand we were playing a good team with a great player,” JHS Coach Milton Barnes said. “He didn’t hurt us a much as the other players did.”
Jackson players Daivion Boleware, Kevin Payne, and Damarion Samuels guarded the star player for Lincoln.
“I looked at his waist and tried to keep balanced,” Payne said. A couple of times I jumped when I should have stayed down.
“It (my defense) could have been better.”
Samuels was the offensive star for Jackson, scoring 22 points including a couple of dunks to excite the capacity crowd. Boleware finished with 13 points for the Vikings.
Jackson earned a split on the night as the girls’ team won 50-33. The Vikings held Lincoln to 15 points in the second half and power forward Jada Patton exploded for 19 points in the contest.
But the defense stepped up in the second half after trailing 18-16 after a slow first half.
“This is the biggest crowd we have ever played in front of,” Jackson Coach Nacoya Weatherspoon said. “The girls started slow, but got after it defensively in the second half.”
Guard Maya Pierce echoed that sentiment of defense first.
“We talked a lot about playing defense at halftime,” Pierce said. “We have to play defense first and the offense will follow.”
It did for the Viking as they held Lincoln to six points in the third quarter and nine in the final eight minutes of action.
Jackson scored 21 points in the final quarter.
Pierce finished with 13 points for the Vikings (4-5 overall, 2-4 SEC).
Both Jackson varsity teams will host Pinckney on Friday with the girls’ contest beginning at 5:30 and the boys’ game at approximately 7 p.m.
