Back on the basketball court, Lincoln Sharpe a difference maker for Plymouth Whitemarsh

WILLOW GROVE >> Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Jim Donofrio received a text last summer that could end up being a deciding factor in how the next couple of months go for the Colonials.

Senior Lincoln Sharpe reached out asking if he could come back to the basketball team. He played JV as a freshman and a sophomore before stepping away to focus on baseball as a junior.

Donofrio was happy to have him and Sharpe is back and better than ever. The 6-foot-5 center scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 64-45 Suburban One League crossover win over Upper Moreland Friday night at Upper Moreland Senior High School.

Sharpe’s energy on the floor is the first thing that stands out about his game. He’s always at full-speed doing whatever he thinks will help the team win.

“What really works for him is he comes in with this mindset of ‘I just want to help the team any way I can,'” Donofrio said “which we all know is an old-fashion mindset. His humility along with this appreciation for being there – wherever he gets this energy to play like his house is on fire is a gift.”

“My freshman and sophomore year the energy definitely wasn’t there,” Sharpe, who played CYO basketball last winter, said. “It was like I wasn’t always in the game, but I think coming in, realizing this is probably one of my last times playing basketball, at least at the high school level, it’s almost like playing each game like it’s your last one. That’s how I go into each game.”

His aggressiveness on the glass is a perfect fit with the team Plymouth Whitemarsh has around him. Guards Jaden Colzie and Chase Coleman and forwards Qudire Bennett and Jahseir Sayles take most of the shots for the Colonials and Sharpe sees it as his job to go after their misses. He had six offensive rebounds against Upper Moreland Friday.

“That’s the best part – getting offensive boards and seeing some of the best shooters probably in the district,” Sharpe said. “Throw it out to them and be confident that they’re going to make it. It makes it even more rewarding trying to go for those offensive boards because I know I have shooters around me I can throw it out to.”

“He doesn’t care about his scoring,” Donofrio added, “and that’s important when you have four guards who aren’t apologizing for shooting. It’s nice to have one that says, ‘I’ll do what I can do.'”

It’s night-and-day for Sharpe looking at the begin of the season compared to now. He went from an energy burst off the bench who only took uncontested layups to a starter who is integral to what the team is trying to do and capable of tallying a double-double.

Sharpe’s not sure what his athletic future holds – whether he’ll play basketball, baseball or neither at the college level – but he’s enjoying himself now and looking forward to what the rest of this season holds.

The Colonials are 14-2 overall and sit atop the SOL Liberty Division with an 11-0 league record. They’re No. 4 in the District 1-6A rankings.

FAST START SENDS PW PAST UPPER MORELAND

Plymouth Whitemarsh’s game against Upper Moreland Friday night was never truly in doubt. Chase Coleman hit a three-pointer on the first possession of the game and the lead grew to 19 by the end of the first quarter.

Qudire Bennett had 11 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter while Lincoln Sharpe had six and Coleman five to build a 24-5 lead.

The Golden Bears got within eight points twice – 30-22 in the second quarter and 34-26 in the third quarter – but PW responded each time.

At 30-22 in the final minute of the first half, Bennett hit a three-pointer from beyond NBA range to get the lead back to 11. At the half it was a 10-point game, 33-23.

When Upper Moreland made it 34-26 early in the third, PW responded with a 13-2 run through the end of the quarter for a 47-28 lead. Bennett had five in the third and Sharpe added four.

The advantage ballooned to over 20 points in the fourth quarter before the final buzzer sounded at 64-45.

Coleman joined Bennett and Sharpe in double figures with 14 points. Bennett added 13 rebounds.

Jon Clark led Upper Moreland with 16 points while Colson Campbell added 11.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 64, Upper Moreland 45

Plymouth Whitemarsh 24 9 14 17 – 64

Upper Moreland 5 18 5 17 – 45

Plymouth Whitemarsh: Jaden Colzie 3 0-0 6, Chase Coleman 6 1-2 14, Qudire Bennett 10 4-4 27, Jahseir Sayles 0 0-0 0, Lincoln Sharpe 6 3-3 15, Jimmy Flowers 0 0-0 0, Mani Sajid 0 0-0 0, Evan Ring 0 0-0 0, Ben Marsico 0 0-1 0, Josh Harris 0 0-0 0, Shawn Wyatt 0 0-0 0, Rodney Willis 1 0-0 2. Total 26 8-10 64.

Upper Moreland: Alex Best 1 3-4 6, Jon Clark 5 5-6 16, Ralph Tyler 0 0-0 0, Sean Murphy 2 1-5 5, Colson Campbell 3 4-6 11, Anthony Carson 0 1-2 1, Javier Velez 2 0-0 4, Jaryd Meehl 0 0-0 0, Jimmy Pierce 1 0-0 2, Corey Ellison 0 0-0 0. Total 14 14-23 45.

3-point goals: PW: Chase Coleman, Qudire Bennett 3. UM: Alex Best, Jon Clark, Colson Campbell.