No. 1 Lincoln Christian was on cruise control last week, as the Bulldogs picked up two dominant wins over Pinnacle Conference opponents and moved their record to 14-2.

Lincoln went on the road for two wins, blowing out No. 7 (3A) Cascia Hall 79-52 on Tuesday and then rolling at Metro Christian 66-37 on Friday.

"We picked up two important conference wins this week, and I'm proud of the way our girls continue to show up and take care of business," said Lincoln head coach Melody Stewart. 

After losing consecutive games in the Tournament of Champions over Christmas break, Lincoln has ripped off six straight wins heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

"As we wind down this stretch of the season, our focus remains the same: continuing to build good habits on both ends of the floor," Stewart said.

The Bulldogs are back at home for two games next week, as No. 14 (3A) Rejoice Christian comes to Lincoln on Tuesday and No. 19 (3A) Victory Christian visits on Friday.

"I'm proud of this group and the consistency they've shown. I'm excited about where we're headed and looking forward to continuing the push through the back stretch of the season together," Stewart said.

LINCOLN 79, CASCIA HALL 52

The Bulldogs put on a show last Tuesday in a big ranked matchup at Cascia Hall, as Lincoln dominated on both ends of the floor.

Lincoln scored 15 or more points in each quarter, racing out to a fast start in the opening eight minutes.

The Bulldogs led 28-11 after a quarter and scored almost 50 first half points, leading 49-28 at the break.

Lincoln shot 48% from the floor as a team, while also making 8-of-22 (36%) from three and 13-of-15 (87%) from the foul line.

Lincoln kept its foot on the gas out of half, opening the 3rd on a 13-6 run and eventually leading 64-42 with a quarter to go.

Four Bulldogs finished in double-figure scoring, led by sophomore Niya Willoby and senior Alexis Leyva.

Willoby had 14 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Leyva finished with 14, as well, along with seven assists, seven steals and four rebounds on 5-of-8 from the floor.

Senior Maddi Stewart was super impactful, as usual, finishing with 13 points, four boards and three assists on just 5-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three.

Sophomore guard Azariah Woodruff had 11 points, four rebounds and three steals for Lincoln.

The Bulldogs dominated in many categories, including transition scoring (26-10), points off turnovers (36-19), second chance points (15-6) and points in the paint (38-16).

Lincoln also won on the glass 33-26, including 13 offensive rebounds, and forced 27 turnovers in the win.

Junior forward Jayla Albert had nine points, seven rebounds and three assists for Lincoln, while freshman guard Laine Dooley added eight and senior guard Kayli Atkinson added six.

LINCOLN 66, METRO 37

The Bulldogs started fast and finished strong on Friday night in another road win at Metro.

Lincoln jumped out to a big lead early and never looked back, as the Bulldgos dominated in all facets of the game.

Lincoln led 22-7 after the first quarter and 33-18 at halftime.

The Bulldogs opened the second half on 13-3 run and led 58-26 through three quarters.

Stewart led the way for Lincoln with 17 points, five rebounds and three steals in just 19 minutes on 7-of-12 shooting.

Willoby was the other Bulldog in double figures, scoring 11 points on just 3-of-4 fro the floor.

Lincoln shot 48% from the field as a team and held Cascia to just 30% from the floor.

The Bulldogs also made 8-of-22 (36%) from three and 12-of-13 (92%) from the foul line.

Atkinson had nine points and five steals for Lincoln, while Woodruff also had nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Leyva had seven points and seven assists for the Bulldogs in the win, while Albert added five points and three rebounds.

Lincoln forced 28 turnovers and turned that into a 36-12 advantage in points off of.

The Bulldogs also had a 26-8 edge in points in the paint and assisted on 17 of 23 made baskets.

Photos by Lee Talley