By Ted Silary
While Nick Lindner is playing basketball for Germantown Academy, his face looks like something that has been receiving daily Botox injections.
Then the buzzer sounds, and he turns into Mr. Personality. (After wins, of course.) And it's all part of a master plan.
"Since last season," said Lindner, a 5-10, 165-pound junior point guard, "I have really worked on controling my emotions. Before, I'd let things get away from me and sometimes it would affect my performance.
"If something went wrong at an important time, I'd get down . . . and that [response] could even carry into the next game. If I did something nice, maybe I'd beat my chest. Since I'm a captain now, I have to be totally focused at all times. Can't let emotion get in the way."
Lindner spoke late Friday afternoon at Cabrini College and his dinner, whether a pretzel or hot dog from the concession stand or something more substantial at a nearby eatery, was going to taste mighty good.
With Lindner contributing 24 points, three assists and seven steals (counting two resulting from 5-second calls), the Patriots edged archrival Penn Charter, 69-67, in the first game of the Inter-Ac League's annual opening tripleheader, now named after former Episcopal/Malvern coach Dan Dougherty.
"I like playing the opener this way," Lindner said. "It's a nice atmosphere in a college gym and the other teams are here to see you."
What no one witnessed was a missed free throw by Lindner, who sniped 11-for-11 at the aptly named (for him) charity stripe.
The marksmanship was hardly a surprise. He entered the game shooting a shade over 90 percent.
"It's a matter of repetition," Lindner said. "Just following the same routine every time. I find it very helpful to start with a deep breath. Then I take two dribbles, think about something nice and shoot the free throw."
Would he care to define something nice?
"Just basketball stuff. Not girls, or anything," he said, laughing. "Mostly just about how we're going to win the game.
"We spend 15 minutes at every practice just practicing free throws. I really put effort into [those sessions] because I know how important they are. They do make the difference."
Lindner's approach must be rubbing off on his teammates. GA finished 22-for-25 at the line in the second half after getting only three opportunities (two makes) in the first.
Lindner scored the Patriots' final six points at the line. The sequence began with 45.4 seconds left after he made a steal near halfcourt and was inadvertently crunched to the floor. Those two successes made it 65-63. Following a traveling violation, Lindner's shirt was grabbed as he tried to free himself for an inbound pass and, again, he was perfect.
A strange sight followed. PC big man Mike McGlinchey went to the line for a double-bonus at 19.6. After missing the first attempt, he fired the ball toward the hoop, but was called for crossing the foul line too early. The Quakers were unable to make a successful hack until 1.8 remained and Lindner then matched his earlier free throwing feats. John Moderski then beat the buzzer with an unchallenged threeball.
Greg Dotson (17), Julian Moore (15) and James Drury (12, treys exclusively) also scored in double figures for coach Jim Fenerty's squad and, maybe you've noticed, that leaves just one other point. It went to Earl Edwards. Dotson (nine) and Moore (seven) led in rebounds.
For PC, Moderski was Lindner-like with 25 points, five assists, four steals and even a team-high five rebounds. McGlinchey managed 14 points despite severe foul troubles, and 10 points apiece were posted by Sean O'Brien and Nick Lamb (two treys).
Lindner, a Doylestown resident, looks forward to many more Inter-Ac goodies.
"That's how this league is. We get after each other," he said. "You expect every game to be a dogfight."
And keep looking for the stone-faced Nick Lindner.
"It's really working for me," he said.
Online high school coverage at philly.com/rally.
