Linden Gets Its Get-Back, Downs Plainfield in Another UCC Thriller

coverage by: AJ Morales

The memory lingered. The buzzer-beater. The silence. The walk off the floor knowing the game had slipped away at the last moment. When Linden lined up across from Plainfield once again, there was no hiding what this night meant.

This time, Linden made sure the ending belonged to them.

In a rematch loaded with stakes and emotion, the Tigers responded with poise, physicality, and purpose, holding off Plainfield for a 58–55 win that flipped the script from their previous meeting. Where the last game ended on a prayer from Micah Gordon, this one came down to execution, stops, and a team that refused to let history repeat itself.

From the opening tip, Linden played with urgency. Asante Jones set the tone early, attacking the glass, finishing through contact, and anchoring the Tigers on both ends of the floor. His presence was steady all night, and when Linden needed a basket or a rebound to slow momentum, Jones delivered. He finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in one of his most complete performances of the season.

Plainfield answered the challenge the way elite teams do. Gordon continued his dominant stretch, pouring in 31 points and keeping the Cardinals within striking distance at every turn. Each time Linden appeared ready to separate, Gordon found a way to close the gap, whether at the rim or the free-throw line.

The game swung in the third quarter, where Linden put together its best stretch of basketball. A 22-point frame, fueled by defensive pressure and transition opportunities, gave the Tigers the breathing room they would eventually need. The debut of Deng Deng was felt immediately, as his activity around the rim changed shots, protected the paint, and added timely scoring that forced Plainfield to adjust.

Down the stretch, the margins were razor thin. Plainfield pushed, pressed, and clawed back, but Linden never lost its composure. Key free throws, clean defensive rotations, and smart possessions allowed the Tigers to survive one final surge and walk out with the win.

After the game, Jones pointed to simplicity and buy-in as the difference.

“What clicked was keeping everything simple,” he said. “That’s what our head coach Mike Rice always tells us. Make the extra pass, communicate, and execute. Before the game even started, we were locked in on what needed to be done, and it started on the defensive side.”

For Linden, the victory carried extra weight. “It feels good to get the win against Plainfield,” Jones added. “We knew how we felt after the last one. Nobody wanted that same feeling again, so we came out with a punch-first mindset.”

In a conference that rarely gives you the same opponent twice without consequences, Linden made sure this chapter read differently. And if Jones’ message afterward was any indication, the Tigers aren’t done making noise.

“Stay tuned,” he said. “We’re going to keep rolling.”