Jayden Simon turns in another double-double as Lincoln bounces back against Stadium

Jayden Simon is known most for his ability on the football field. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound senior lineman for Lincoln High School dominated on both sides of the ball for the Abes in the fall, and has offers from three FCS schools.

But, Simon is turning heads on the basketball court this season, too. He posted his second double-double in a week Wednesday night in Tacoma, as the Abes ended a two-game skid with a convincing 101-81 win over city rival Stadium.

“I’m in the paint, controlling the paint this year, and I take that to heart,” Simon said. “I’m doing that for my brothers and my coaches, and just having fun with it.”

Simon scored a team-high 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead a Lincoln team that shot 59.7 percent from the floor against the Tigers. 

The Abes (8-2) appeared to shoot more comfortably after turning in back-to-back shaky outings in their first two losses to Union and Kelso last week. Simon was the leading scorer for Lincoln in each of those games, too, and tallied another double-double against Union.

“We definitely have to bring the intensity in practice. Everybody was having their heads down, but we try to leave all of that in the past,” Simon said of the two consecutive losses. “That was 2018. Now it’s a new year. We’re trying to start out fresh, just put all of that to the side, and become a new team, and be ready to work every day.”

Lincoln jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter against Stadium (3-5), but the Tigers used a mix of talent and speed to claw their way back to a one-point deficit by the end of the period, and eventually took a brief lead midway through the second.

Stadium senior Davion Gaines, a Portland State football signee, led all scorers with 30 points, and cashed in on several trips to the free throw line, where the Tigers shot a collective 80 percent on 35 attempts. Donnelle Irvin, who transferred from Chief Leschi this season, added 22 points.

But, Stadium’s final lead of the game came on an Edward Brown basket with three minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the first half. Gaines pushed the Tigers’ biggest margin to three points on the next possession, but the Abes ended the half on a 19-8 run, and never trailed again.

The Tigers had momentum late in the second quarter, and it appeared they would add to their lead when Jaden Call batted down a Lincoln pass with less than three minutes to play. He chased the ball in transition, but collided with an official, turning the ball back over to Lincoln.

Stadium was called for two technical fouls in the following 10 seconds of game time, which ignited a series of three made free throws and four consecutive baskets by the Abes before Stadium answered. 

Lincoln carried a 46-36 lead into the half — capped by a Mykel Campbell dunk just before the buzzer — and it never dropped below double digits, hovering between 20 and 30 points during the third quarter, though the Tigers did end the game on a 12-3 run.

“It felt good to get a win, but it wasn’t a pretty win,” first-year Lincoln coach Ryan Rogers said. “We didn’t execute late, we let them back in the game. We need to play four quarters.”

The Abes finished with five scorers in double figures, including Simon. Kashaud Babbs added 19 points, Reggie Archibald had 17, and Earnest Yearby pitched in 11. Julien Simon, who sat the first half, came off of the bench to score all 15 of his points in the final two quarters.

“We just keep getting more shots up,” Rogers said. “They keep getting the owrk in. We all have faith and trust in everybody. Everybody wants everybody to score.”

TEAM STATISTICS

L – Shooting: 37 of 62 (59.7 percent). Free throws: 21 of 30 (70). Turnovers: 18.

S – Shooting: 25 of 54 (46.3 percent). Free throws: 28 of 35 (80). Turnovers: 14.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

L – Reggie Archibald 17, Kashaud Babbs 19, Mykel Campbell 6, Earnest Yearby 11, Parker Androy 5, Chris Whitford 5, Ezra Nightingale 2, Julien Simon 15, Jayden Simon 21.

S – Edward Brown 5, Davion Gaines 30, Jaden Call 6, Ricky Jackson 4, Donnelle Irvin 22, Corry Sanders 11, Andre Higgins 3.