No. 1 Lincoln Christian remained perfect this week, as the Bulldogs picked up a big win heading into Christmas break.

The Bulldogs rolled over Rejoice Christian 92-27 on Tuesday before the big matchup on Friday night at the Memorial Veterans Showcase.

Lincoln faced off against No. 2 (5A) Booker T Washington, which was one of the two teams to beat the Bulldogs during last year's state title run.

And Lincoln flipped the script after the 2024 loss at the Tournament of Champions, as the Bulldogs dominated the Hornets and moved to 7-0 on the year. 

"We picked up two big wins this week," said Lincoln head coach Melody Stewart. "Our girls continue to show up every day and stay locked in on the small details that matter. Their consistency and buy-in have really defined who we are early in the season."

Last year's loss to Booker T on Dec. 28 was the last loss for Lincoln, as the Bulldogs have won 30 consecutive games.

Lincoln is also 90-8 since the start of the 2022-23 season.

Lincoln will be in the Tournament of Champions to close out Christmas break and 2025, as the Bulldogs face off with No. 2 (3A) Sequoyah-Tahlequah on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. to open the tournament.

"We're excited about the trajectory we're on and can't wait to return to the TOC ready to leave our mark as we close out 2025," said Stewart. 

"Before then, it's time for a few days of downtime with our families as we remember our Savior's birth and celebrate Christmas. We're grateful for this team, this journey, and the season ahead."

Stewart is pleased with her team on both ends of the floor but is also excited for the opportunity to continue fine tuning things and improving against more elite competition.

"Offensively, we're working to optimize all of our weapons, and it's showing," she said. "Through our first seven games, we've had seven different players score in double figures."

"We're shooting 34% from three, 52% from two, and doing a great job creating extra opportunities with 14 offensive rebounds per game. Add in 17 steals and 14 assists a night, and you can see the balance and effort across the floor."

LINCOLN 92, REJOICE 27

The Bulldog dominated from start to finish, as Lincoln rolled on the road at Rejoice last Tuesday.

The Bulldogs shot 61% from the floor and held Rejoice to just 23% as a team, leading 23-2 after a quarter and 44-6 at half.

Lincoln made 9-of-20 threes and forced 35 turnovers, which resulted in a 40-5 edge in points off of.

Lincoln also had a 33-2 edge in transition, a 60-8 advantage in paint scoring and assisted on 25 of 39 baskets.

Freshman Laine Dooley was the high scorer for the game, pouring in 20 points on 9-of-11 from the field. She added three assists and four steals in the win.

Sophomore Niya Willoby had 14 points and four boards for Lincoln on 6-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three.

Senior Madi Stewart had 12 points, three boards and three assists in the win, while fellow senior Kayli Atkinson also had 12 points and added four steals.

Junior forward Jayla Albert had 12 for Lincoln on 5-of-7 from the floor, while she also added four rebounds.

Junior Ivey Wheeler had eight points, three assists and two steals.

Senior Alexis Leyva had just four points, but added a season-high nine assist and five steals in the win.

LINCOLN 59, BOOKER T 34

After letting one get away last year, the Bulldogs were not about to let that happen again, as they got off to a great start and kept their foot on the pedal throughout in a win on Friday night.

Lincoln jumped out to a 18-1 lead in the opening quarter and withstood a late first half Booker T rally to pull away in the 3rd quarter.

Booker T cut into the lead in the 2nd quarter, finishing the half on a 17-7 and an 8-0 run to pull within seven at the break.

But Lincoln started the second half on an 11-0 run and after a first half with just one triple, the Bulldogs got going from deep.

Lincoln ripped five threes in the 3rd quarter to push the lead out 48-25 through three quarters.

The Bulldogs were tenacious defensively, holding Booker T to just 21% shooting as as team.

Lincoln also held the Hornets to just 1-of-14 from three and forced 29 turnovers in the win.

Lincoln had a 18-6 advantage in transition and a 24-14 edge in paint scoring.

The Bulldogs had 10 second chance points and an 18-9 margin in points off turnovers.

Albert had a game-high 14 points and four rebounds on 5-of-10 from the floor.

Stewart had a double-double, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals for Lincoln.

Sophomore guard Azariah Woodruff had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-4 from three.

Leyva had nine points, five rebounds and four assists in the win.

Atkinson made three from long range, finishing with nine points and five steals for Lincoln.



Photos by Lee Talley