It wasn’t just that Ellwood City Lincoln beat a WPIAL Section 2-AA crosstown rival in Riverside, it was how.

The Wolverines played their best game of the year, according to coach Al Campman, and stayed in the hunt for a section title with a 60-44 victory last night.

The win meant a lot to Ellwood City, which was coming off back-to-back, one-point losses in the section.

“The importance of it wasn’t so much the final score as much as it was how we played,” Campman said. “I know that might sound like a lot of bullcrap to some people, but I preach to the kids all the time that winning right is much more important than winning.”

The Wolverines (4-2, 7-6) won with a balanced offense and team defense. While Ryan Horgan was the only player in double figures with 16 points, seven other players scored for Ellwood City, which held a 26-14 halftime advantage. They pushed their lead to 20 in the third quarter and never allowed the Panthers (4-2, 9-5) back in the game.

“Horgan played a great first half, and that picked everybody up,” Campman said. “We played them tough on the boards and our bench really came through. All three of them, (Devon) Siegfried, (Jared) Vetica and (Marcus) McCowin, played well.”

McCowin added eight points for Ellwood City, which is now tied with Riverside for second place in the section and has another critical conference clash at home on Friday against Neshannock (5-1, 11-3). The Lancers edged Ellwood City in overtime in the first contest.

“We’re trying to get over the hump,” Campman said. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting better.”