Arlington boys basketball team holds off Hillcrest, takes lead in River Valley League – Press Enterprise

RIVERSIDE — Lincoln Liggins was having a quiet night by his or anyone else’s standards.

But the 6-foot-2 junior guard made some noise when the Arlington boys basketball team needed its most Thursday evening.

Arlington watched a double-digit lead disappear in the second half, but Liggins nailed a 3-pointer and threw down a thunderous dunk to help the Lions regain control of the game and secure a 61-53 win at Hillcrest in a River Valley League game.

The victory moved the Lions (17-9, 7-1 in league) into sole possession of first place with two games left to play.

Liggins was on the bench most of the second quarter after picking up his second foul, and Arlington’s leading scorer had only had eight points with 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the game. Hillcrest (19-7, 6-2) trailed by as many as 11 points in the third quarter, but the Trojans went on a huge run behind McKel Shedrick to take a 50-45 lead with 5:52 to play.

Arlington leveled the score at 50 with 3:51 left on the clock after a 3-pointer by Reece Contreras and a bucket by Legend Liggins, Lincoln’s younger brother. Lincoln Liggins then found himself wide open on the wing and sank a 3-pointer to help the Lions regain the lead, and he grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a two-handed jam.

“I was having a bad game, so I knew I had to step things up at the end of the game,” said, Lincoln Liggins, who is averaging 23.5 points per game. “We had a lot of guys stepped up tonight. We’re very tough to beat when everyone is contributing.”

And it was a balanced scoring attack that helped the Lions avenge two previous losses to Hillcrest. Legend Liggins had a team-high 15 points, while Lincoln Liggins finished with 14 points. The third Liggins brother, senior Titus, chipped in with nine more points. Ryan Wheeler had 12 points and 19 rebounds, while Contreras contributed 11 points for the Lions.

“We do preach a total team effort. It might not look like it in the scorebook sometimes because Lincoln and Ryan are the ones usually dominating the game,” Arlington coach James French said. “But those other guys always put in a tremendous effort at practices and in games. Tonight, when we needed some other people to step up and make shots, they came through.”

Wheeler, a 6-6 senior center, was a force as usual in the paint and helped Arlington to a 42-26 edge in rebounding and a 12-6 advantage in second-chance points. Arlington had 11 offensive rebounds, including eight from Wheeler.

Arlington trailed 13-12 after Lincoln Liggins picked up his second foul early in the second period, but the Lions outscored Hillcrest 16-10 over the final seven minutes of the half. Legend Liggins sank a pair of 3-pointers, while Titus Liggins and Contreras each had four points during that run.

Arlington extended its lead to 11 points midway through the third period, but Shedrick, a 6-2 junior guard, willed Hillcrest back into the game and eventually into the lead. Shedrick scored 17 of his game-high 28 points in a span of five minutes, sparking a 21-5 run by the Trojans..

“McKel did a phenomenal job, and Darius Jones (11 points) made some big shots, too,” Hillcrest coach Jackson Wood said. “We have talent and know what we’re capable of. It’s just frustrating when it’s not there all of the time.”

Wheeler picked up his fourth foul with the score level at 45 and 6:34 remaining in the game. That, combined with Shedrick’s take-over attempt, created some nervous moments for French. But his Lions outscored Hillcrest 8-5 during a four-minute span Wheeler was sitting on the bench. Hillcrest had beaten Arlington 75-62 and 56-42 in previous games this season.

“We kept our composure at the end and made sure this one didn’t get away,” French said. “They were ready for this moment tonight. They stayed locked in and didn’t get off track. I’m proud of them and feel pretty good going into (the) CIF (playoffs).”

Arlington now controls its destiny with games against Patriot (fourth place) and La Sierra (fifth place) next week. The Lions are seeking the program’s first league championship since 2021, when they shared the River Valley League title with Hillcrest.

Hillcrest will need to win out and get some help to extend its league championship run to seven years. The Trojans dropped into a tie for second place with Norte Vista following the loss. Those teams square off in the regular-season finale next week at Norte Vista. Hillcrest lost a 73-70 decision to the Braves in the first meeting earlier this month.