MT. CARMEL, Ill. -- After a 10-point run had put them in control of the game midway through the second half, Lincoln Trail still had to fight off repeated Wabash Valley thrusts to escape with a 66-61 Great Rivers Athletic Conference win on Saturday afternoon at Spencer Sports Center. 

The loss was the third straight for WVC, still winless in GRAC play at 0-3. The Warriors are 6-4 overall, heading to Rend Lake on Wednesday night. Lincoln Trail, now 9-3 on the season, rests atop the league standings at 3-0. 

Though his club showed "great response and great fight to get back into the game" following the Statesmen turnaround, WVC coach Isaac Wodajo was less pleased the point margin had not been more, and earlier. 

"When we would be up four or six points and we could have extended (the lead) to eight or 10, the unforced turnovers would happen," he said. 

WVC led, 43-38, with 15:01 remaining, when Teleon Brown came off the bench to ignite Lincoln Trail and change the tenor of the game. 

Brown hit a reverse layup to pull the Statesman to within one point, 43-42, then scored following a steal to give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.  

The 6-foot-8 sophomore was not done yet. Brown then stole the ball himself and hit a popper from the right side. Next, a layup from Nick Kaigler completed the surge, making it 48-43 with 10:42 left.  

Wabash Valley got back to within one point two more times in the waning minutes (once at the six-minute mark, the other with two minutes left), both followed immediately by five-point Statesmen answers to maintain control. 

Brandon Rayzer-Moore, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard making just his second start for the Warriors, led the way in scoring with 18 points. 

In fact, his whole stat line was impressive. The Louisville, Ky. product hit five-of-seven shots from the 3-point arc, tied for team-high honors with six rebounds, and led with three steals.  

"He has a lot of potential," said Wodajo of Rayzer-Moore. "He has a lot to get better at to be where he wants to be, but he has a high ceiling." 

Gary Clay also finished in double figures for WVC with 14 points. 

Lincoln Trail was led by Clint Wickliffe, Jr., who finished with 15 points. 

Following the midweek trip to Rend Lake, Wabash Valley returns home for the final time before Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 10 in a 3 p.m. GRAC game against Southwestern.  

Next up for Lincoln Trail is a Wednesday night home game against Kaskaskia.