PIAA Class 4A Boys Championship: Brandin Cummings, Lincoln Park overwhelm Carroll

Archbishop Carroll forward Munir Greig takes the ball to the rim for a layup against Lincoln Park during the PIAA Class 4A final at the Giant Center Thursday night. (Evan Wheaton - For MediaNews Group)

Archbishop Carroll forward Munir Greig takes the ball to the rim for a layup against Lincoln Park during the PIAA Class 4A final at the Giant Center Thursday night. (Evan Wheaton – For MediaNews Group)

By Matthew DeGeorge

After the first quarter Thursday night, the PIAA’s DJ queued up some Sia for the fans in attendance at the Giant Center. The pop star and wig aficionado wasn’t singing about Lincoln Park’s offense. But she may as well have been.

The Leopards were, as the Australian intoned, unstoppable. A 15-for-19 start from the field and 37 points in a signature performance by Brandin Cummings helped the charter school from Midland claim an 80-50 decision over Archbishop Carroll in the PIAA Class 4A final.

It’s the 19th straight win and fourth state title for Lincoln Park, one shy of the school whose building they inherited, Midland High. It won this game over Neumann-Goretti, 62-58, last year. All the energy that Carroll, the seventh-place team in the Catholic League and third seed out of District 12, expended to make this run to Hershey was used Thursday not to get blown out.

Lincoln Park just took what it wanted offensively early. It went on a 16-0 run in the first quarter and led 51-22 at halftime on 21-for-30 shooting. Only some prudent clock killing by a team that played like it’s been to this stage before kept the score reasonable.

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