‘On the line’: Wyles steps up when it matters most to lead Lincoln boys basketball to win

CAMBRIDGE CITY, Ind. — Hanging on the wall in Lincoln boys basketball coach Rodney Klein’s office is a framed newspaper cover with a headline that reads “One free throw lifts Golden Eagles.” One free throw wouldn’t have gotten the job done Saturday, so it’s a good thing Klein constantly harps on them in practice.

“At least five times a day, I’m shooting free throws. I probably get up 100 a day at least,” junior Tyler Wyles said. “At the end of the game, I’m confident in myself to step up in the big situations and make those free throws.”

Wyles’ confidence showed down the stretch of Lincoln’s game against Burris Saturday. The Golden Eagles built a small lead going into the final minutes, and the Owls started fouling to stop the clock and send Lincoln to the free-throw line.

Bad idea.

The Golden Eagles made 11 of their 12 free throws in crunch time to seal away a 70-62 win. Wyles went a perfect 8-for-8 at the line late in the game, each of them a carbon copy of the one before: nothing but net.

“Our first couple games, we struggled from the line as a team, and we really emphasized that in practice,” Klein said. “Tyler has always been ice in his veins when it’s game time. When it’s the end of the game, and it’s on the line, he’s going to make his free throws.”

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Wyles’ eight free throws wound up being the difference in the game. He had to make them — not just because the game would have gotten a lot more interesting if he didn’t, but because senior Alex Bertsch fouled out just moments before.

Bertsch, along with Wyles, took on the responsibility of being a go-to guy in close situations Saturday. Every time Burris got close enough to where it could smell the lead, Lincoln’s duo stretched the lead back out.

One particular fourth-quarter sequence stood out. With 3:45 left on the clock and just a two-point lead, Bertsch knocked down a corner three. Just 30 seconds later, he dribbled the length of the court in a full sprint and finished it off with a driving layup. Another 30 seconds later, Wyles did the same thing, this time Euro-stepping around his defender for the basket. All of a sudden, the lead was back up to eight.

Klein has no secrets when it comes to whose hands he wants the ball in during those situations, and it sounds like there’s a common wavelength throughout the team regarding it.

“Our kids know these two guys are our scoring leaders. They’ve been our scoring leaders the last couple years. They know that,” Klein said. “Our kids know their roles, and when they understand their roles like they do, then you can be successful … We give Tyler and Alex the green light. They can shoot wherever they want to shoot once they cross halfcourt. Everyone else has a green light when they’re in their range, and they all understand that.”

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Wyles said he and Bertsch have been close friends for almost their entire lives. They grew up playing together, and, in their time away from basketball, they play more basketball.

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They talk basketball, too, and the interesting thing is they don’t talk about their accomplishments. Instead, they focus on how they can improve and make their teammates better.

“We can come in when we need to come in and hit our shots, but once we really get everyone else going, I think that’s when we can be the most dynamic,” Wyles said. “We’re always talking about what we need to do better and how we can get the rest of the team involved instead of relying on us.”

As unselfish as he is, Wyles knew what time it was late in the game, and his teammates, Klein and every Golden Eagle fan in the building were glad he was the one shooting those eight free throws.

Lincoln’s next game is Dec. 8 on the road at Anderson Prep.

Zach Piatt reports on sports and education for The Palladium-Item. Contact him at zpiatt@gannett.com or on Twitter @zachpiatt13.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Tyler Wyles seals Lincoln High School boys basketball win