It was billed as Lance Stephenson versus Sylven Landesberg. However, only one man was standing after the final second had ticked away and it was Stephenson after Lincoln clobbered Holy Cross, 81-60. The game was held as part of a big day of basketball at Hofstra University to raise money for the Tom Crotty Memorial fund, designed to help charities. Crotty had fallen victim to the terrorist attacks on September 11th.
Landesberg wasn't able to start the game due to some stomach sickness. By the time he entered the game with a little over five minutes remaining in the first quarter, Tiny Morton's Lincoln team had ran off the first nine points.
To square things up a bit, Stephenson picked up his second foul with 39.4 seconds remaining the first half with Lincoln holding a 25-13 lead. Morton wisely sat his big star down for the rest of the half. However, Holy Cross managed to cut into that lead, going to the lockeroom at the half, trailing 38-31.
When Stephenson was on the floor, he dominated, using his size, strength and skills to overwhelm the Holy Cross defense. Both he and Landesberg finished with nine points in the first half, despite Lance only playing just a quarter.
Stephenson and several other Lincoln players got going in the third quarter, ripping apart the Knights' defense.
James Padgett had eight points in the quarter and Stephenson either dropped in jumpers or fed teammates when he faced double and triple teams.
The junior prospect finished the game with 25 points as Lincoln kept control of the game throughout the fourth quarter in a contest televised on MSG TV network. But the only drama was how good Stephenson's game has become.
Padgett had 14 points in the game but Justin Greene also was impressive, scoring 16. Landesberg led his team with 22 points.