Boys Basketball: Eastside survives against AV, moves into playoff spot
Feb. 6, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — When Eastside had to forfeit three Golden League games earlier this season, dropping it from second to seventh place in the league, the Lions might have seen the season slipping away.
If that didn't do it, Jeffery McClendon losing his grip on the basketball and turning it over to Antelope Valley's Tristan Walker in the waning seconds of a tie game on Friday night might have done it.
"Yeah it did," McClendon said.
But in a season filled with misfortune for the Lions, luck was finally on their side Friday as Walker's last-second charge to the basket rolled off and Eastside (7-13, 6-6 GL) survived in overtime for a 73-67 win.
The victory gave the Lions, who swept AV this season, sole possession of fourth place and put them back into playoff territory for the first time since their league record went from 5-2 to 2-5 on Jan. 20 due to the use of an ineligible player.
It also pushed AV (14-10, 6-6) out of it.
"The three games we had to give back, that's on me, that's not on any of my players," Eastside head coach Jesse Parker said. "We refocused and we won a couple of games and we'll try to get these last two and see about the playoffs then."
McClendon had a game-high 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, where the Lions had to rally from down 59-49 with 4:45 to go.
Once they made up the difference, all the Lions had to do was survive Walker charging toward their basket with time ticking down and the scored tied 64-64.
Walker's buzzer-beating attempt was hotly contested and missed. Several Antelopes felt a foul should have been called on the play.
"Yeah, there was a little contact," said Walker, who led AV with 18 points.
Eastside's David Hicks hit a 3-pointer to start overtime, giving his team the lead for the first time since midway through the third quarter, and the Lions never looked back.
Eastside, which has gone 4-1 in its last five league games, outscored AV 9-3 in the overtime, forcing numerous turnovers and not allowing a single basket.
"That's that Eastside defense," McClendon said. "We are trying to get back to what we had in the beginning of the season."
Added AV coach Edward Campbell II: "We just couldn't protect the ball."
It was a game of runs in the first half. It started with the Lions, who got off to a 17-6 lead midway through the first quarter before Antelope Valley closed the period with three consecutive 3-pointers, the last one a Maurice Hawkins' bomb at the buzzer.
AV continued its outpour in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions 13-3 to start the period to take a 28-20 lead. That completed an overall 22-3 run for the 'Lopes.
But then the Lions responded with an outburst of their own, a 10-0 run to regain the lead at 30-28. That was right before AV's Justin Bouye scored the last five points of the half to give his team a 33-30 lead at the break.
Kaleb Fletcher scored 15 points for Eastside and Bouye had 14 for AV, which also got 13 points from Rashaad Johnson.
Eastside plays at first-place Highland (11-1) on Tuesday and at third-place Quartz Hill (8-4) on Thursday, while AV plays host to Palmdale (4-8) on Tuesday and finishes at Highland on Thursday.
After suffering their share of bad luck, the Lions are now back in control of their own destiny. If the last play of regulation Friday was any kind of an omen, maybe the stars are finally aligning for them.
"We were very fortunate on that," Parker said.
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — When Eastside had to forfeit three Golden League games earlier this season, dropping it from second to seventh place in the league, the Lions might have seen the season slipping away.
If that didn't do it, Jeffery McClendon losing his grip on the basketball and turning it over to Antelope Valley's Tristan Walker in the waning seconds of a tie game on Friday night might have done it.
"Yeah it did," McClendon said.
But in a season filled with misfortune for the Lions, luck was finally on their side Friday as Walker's last-second charge to the basket rolled off and Eastside (7-13, 6-6 GL) survived in overtime for a 73-67 win.
The victory gave the Lions, who swept AV this season, sole possession of fourth place and put them back into playoff territory for the first time since their league record went from 5-2 to 2-5 on Jan. 20 due to the use of an ineligible player.
It also pushed AV (14-10, 6-6) out of it.
"The three games we had to give back, that's on me, that's not on any of my players," Eastside head coach Jesse Parker said. "We refocused and we won a couple of games and we'll try to get these last two and see about the playoffs then."
McClendon had a game-high 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, where the Lions had to rally from down 59-49 with 4:45 to go.
Once they made up the difference, all the Lions had to do was survive Walker charging toward their basket with time ticking down and the scored tied 64-64.
Walker's buzzer-beating attempt was hotly contested and missed. Several Antelopes felt a foul should have been called on the play.
"Yeah, there was a little contact," said Walker, who led AV with 18 points.
Eastside's David Hicks hit a 3-pointer to start overtime, giving his team the lead for the first time since midway through the third quarter, and the Lions never looked back.
Eastside, which has gone 4-1 in its last five league games, outscored AV 9-3 in the overtime, forcing numerous turnovers and not allowing a single basket.
"That's that Eastside defense," McClendon said. "We are trying to get back to what we had in the beginning of the season."
Added AV coach Edward Campbell II: "We just couldn't protect the ball."
It was a game of runs in the first half. It started with the Lions, who got off to a 17-6 lead midway through the first quarter before Antelope Valley closed the period with three consecutive 3-pointers, the last one a Maurice Hawkins' bomb at the buzzer.
AV continued its outpour in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions 13-3 to start the period to take a 28-20 lead. That completed an overall 22-3 run for the 'Lopes.
But then the Lions responded with an outburst of their own, a 10-0 run to regain the lead at 30-28. That was right before AV's Justin Bouye scored the last five points of the half to give his team a 33-30 lead at the break.
Kaleb Fletcher scored 15 points for Eastside and Bouye had 14 for AV, which also got 13 points from Rashaad Johnson.
Eastside plays at first-place Highland (11-1) on Tuesday and at third-place Quartz Hill (8-4) on Thursday, while AV plays host to Palmdale (4-8) on Tuesday and finishes at Highland on Thursday.
After suffering their share of bad luck, the Lions are now back in control of their own destiny. If the last play of regulation Friday was any kind of an omen, maybe the stars are finally aligning for them.
"We were very fortunate on that," Parker said.