The wait is over. Lincoln has reclaimed its throne.
Having gone three years without a city championship, following seven titles in eight years, the Railsplitters restored Brooklyn’s basketball empire yesterday at Madison Square Garden with a 65-52 win over Thomas Jefferson in the PSAL Class AA boys basketball title game.
Lincoln coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton remarked how painful it was to watch rival Boys & Girls take the title the past three years and to win it with his son, Trevonn, on the floor made it even more memorable.
“It’s probably my most emotional victory I’ve had since I’ve been at Lincoln,” said Morton. “This was huge for the seniors, especially for [Isaiah] Whitehead. He has so much pressure on him to get a victory, so I’m happy for him also.”
Whitehead finally earned the elusive championship separating him from previous legends Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson, putting up 12 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. The highly touted junior saw constant double-teams, limiting him to only five field goal attempts, but the frontcourt of Elijah Davis (18 points on 9-of-12 shooting) and MVP Desi Rodriguez (16 points, 17 rebounds) propelled the top-seeded Railsplitters to an 18-1 run after trailing 42-39 late in the third quarter.
“It feels great,” said Whitehead. “My teammates stepped up big today, Desi, Eli, to get the city championship feels amazing.”
The second-seeded Orange Wave handed Lincoln its only league loss this season and returned to the championship game for the second straight year, but Jefferson’s bid for its first city crown since 1954 fell apart during a second half where the team shot 6-of-33 from the field.
Trailing 39-31 at halftime, Rachard Moody led an 11-0 run to start the third quarter, but Jefferson’s star guard, Jaquan Lynch, couldn’t shake a shooting slump and finished 1-for-9 with two points.
“I don’t want to compare myself to Duke or nothing like that, but if you live in New York City and you don’t know our tradition and you don’t hear about the guys that have been through the program then you’re not really a big-time basketball player,” Morton said. “If guys want to come to Lincoln they got to understand what’s ahead. The spotlight’s on us.”
Almost like it never left.
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In the girls PSAL AA championship, No. 2 Murry Bergtraum had a 16-point halftime lead cut to two in the final minute, but held on for its mind-blowing 15th consecutive title, with a 48-43 win over top-seeded South Shore.
howard.kussoy@nypost.com