Boys Basketball: Rebels get by Antelopes in frantic game
Jan. 23, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
QUARTZ HILL — The Golden League was filled with emotions late Friday night.
And they didn't end once Melvin Washington's potential tying 3-pointer bounced harmlessly off the back of the rim at the buzzer to preserve Quartz Hill's 65-62 win over Antelope Valley.
"My heart was racing, I was about to pass out on the floor," said the Rebels' Ezekiel Hampton-Armstrong, who scored nine of his team-high 19 points in a frenetic fourth quarter. "Everybody else was standing there watching. I'm so happy (Washington) missed."
In a matchup that was supposed to be a tiebreaker for fourth place in the Golden League, the Rebels learned after the game that the win lifted them to third instead due to an unfortunate twist involving Eastside.
Earlier this week, the Lions forfeited two non-league games and three league ones due to using an ineligible player during the stretch. The action changed Eastside's league record from 5-2 to 2-5 going into Friday, automatically bumping Quartz Hill (7-9, 5-3 GL) and AV (12-8, 4-4) up a spot in the standings.
"I didn't know that. Wow, that's some good news," Hampton-Armstrong said. "I guess we're going to celebrate tonight and have a team dinner maybe. I don't know."
Before finally exhaling following Washington's missed shot, the Rebels looked just as close to some negative déjà vu as they were to winning the thing.
AV erased Quartz Hill's 14-point second-half lead following a steal and breakaway dunk from Washington with 2:48 to go in the fourth quarter. The slam capped a 7-minute, 24-10 AV run and knotted the game up at 59-59.
In need of a basket to help impede AV from breaking the Rebels' hearts for a second time this year, Hampton-Armstrong hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner seconds later.
"Losing by 1 last time was heartbreaking," Hampton-Armstrong said recalling AV's 76-75 overtime win in the teams' league opener. "This time we had them beat."
The game, which included a heated exchange between the teams and eight technical free throws in favor of AV, was hardly over. A series of travels, steals and inbound passes to no one created a turnover-packed final two minutes that seemed to come to an end after a free throw from Patrick Craig drew the 'Lopes within 65-62 with 5.5. seconds to go.
All the Rebels had to do was inbound the ball, get fouled and make a free throw. Instead, K'Len Preyer was called for an inbounds' lane violation to give AV one final shot.
"It was just a crazy ending," Quartz Hill coach Bernard Nichter said. "It was just strange how that whole thing unfolded."
The inbounds found Tristan Walker at the top of the key, but his 3-pointer only drew air. Craig, however, collected the airball under the basket and zipped a pass to Washington, who was standing all by his lonesome in the corner.
He couldn't send the 'Lopes to an extra period.
"It's a heartbreak, but we got to rebound." said Washington, who finished with 19 points.
The loss would have dropped the Antelopes, who also got 15 points from Walker, to fifth place with a challenging schedule ahead. Instead, they sit in fourth with a one-game cushion over the Lions.
For Quartz Hill, which beat Eastside on Tuesday, things seem to finally be coming together after a rough start that began with a crushing loss at AV on Dec. 9.
"Everybody's confidence is boosted up now that we beat Eastside, now that we beat AV," Hampton-Armstrong said. "I think we're ready for Highland, I think we're ready for Pete Knight again and any other team out there. If they're ready for us, we're ready to come at them."
QH used a balanced attack in a first half where six different Rebels hit a 3-pointer to take a six-point lead at the break. Hampton-Armstrong scored all seven of his second-quarter points in the final two minutes of the period, his last two coming on a banker at the buzzer that gave the Rebels a 34-28 lead.
Quartz Hill remained in control for most of the third. After a layup from Preyer, the Rebels led 49-35 with two minutes to go in the period.
It was then or never when AV had to make its move.
"Shows a lot of heart," AV coach Edward Campbell II said. "We showed tremendous heart on the road."
After the game, Nichter said he didn't know about Eastside's unfortunate slip in the standings, one that gave wins to Lancaster, Palmdale and Littlerock.
Following enough action for more than one game encapsulated into a single Golden League match, perhaps the news were too much for him to process anyway.
"No idea," Nichter said. "We're happy to be in third, though. We're starting to play well."
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
QUARTZ HILL — The Golden League was filled with emotions late Friday night.
And they didn't end once Melvin Washington's potential tying 3-pointer bounced harmlessly off the back of the rim at the buzzer to preserve Quartz Hill's 65-62 win over Antelope Valley.
"My heart was racing, I was about to pass out on the floor," said the Rebels' Ezekiel Hampton-Armstrong, who scored nine of his team-high 19 points in a frenetic fourth quarter. "Everybody else was standing there watching. I'm so happy (Washington) missed."
In a matchup that was supposed to be a tiebreaker for fourth place in the Golden League, the Rebels learned after the game that the win lifted them to third instead due to an unfortunate twist involving Eastside.
Earlier this week, the Lions forfeited two non-league games and three league ones due to using an ineligible player during the stretch. The action changed Eastside's league record from 5-2 to 2-5 going into Friday, automatically bumping Quartz Hill (7-9, 5-3 GL) and AV (12-8, 4-4) up a spot in the standings.
"I didn't know that. Wow, that's some good news," Hampton-Armstrong said. "I guess we're going to celebrate tonight and have a team dinner maybe. I don't know."
Before finally exhaling following Washington's missed shot, the Rebels looked just as close to some negative déjà vu as they were to winning the thing.
AV erased Quartz Hill's 14-point second-half lead following a steal and breakaway dunk from Washington with 2:48 to go in the fourth quarter. The slam capped a 7-minute, 24-10 AV run and knotted the game up at 59-59.
In need of a basket to help impede AV from breaking the Rebels' hearts for a second time this year, Hampton-Armstrong hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner seconds later.
"Losing by 1 last time was heartbreaking," Hampton-Armstrong said recalling AV's 76-75 overtime win in the teams' league opener. "This time we had them beat."
The game, which included a heated exchange between the teams and eight technical free throws in favor of AV, was hardly over. A series of travels, steals and inbound passes to no one created a turnover-packed final two minutes that seemed to come to an end after a free throw from Patrick Craig drew the 'Lopes within 65-62 with 5.5. seconds to go.
All the Rebels had to do was inbound the ball, get fouled and make a free throw. Instead, K'Len Preyer was called for an inbounds' lane violation to give AV one final shot.
"It was just a crazy ending," Quartz Hill coach Bernard Nichter said. "It was just strange how that whole thing unfolded."
The inbounds found Tristan Walker at the top of the key, but his 3-pointer only drew air. Craig, however, collected the airball under the basket and zipped a pass to Washington, who was standing all by his lonesome in the corner.
He couldn't send the 'Lopes to an extra period.
"It's a heartbreak, but we got to rebound." said Washington, who finished with 19 points.
The loss would have dropped the Antelopes, who also got 15 points from Walker, to fifth place with a challenging schedule ahead. Instead, they sit in fourth with a one-game cushion over the Lions.
For Quartz Hill, which beat Eastside on Tuesday, things seem to finally be coming together after a rough start that began with a crushing loss at AV on Dec. 9.
"Everybody's confidence is boosted up now that we beat Eastside, now that we beat AV," Hampton-Armstrong said. "I think we're ready for Highland, I think we're ready for Pete Knight again and any other team out there. If they're ready for us, we're ready to come at them."
QH used a balanced attack in a first half where six different Rebels hit a 3-pointer to take a six-point lead at the break. Hampton-Armstrong scored all seven of his second-quarter points in the final two minutes of the period, his last two coming on a banker at the buzzer that gave the Rebels a 34-28 lead.
Quartz Hill remained in control for most of the third. After a layup from Preyer, the Rebels led 49-35 with two minutes to go in the period.
It was then or never when AV had to make its move.
"Shows a lot of heart," AV coach Edward Campbell II said. "We showed tremendous heart on the road."
After the game, Nichter said he didn't know about Eastside's unfortunate slip in the standings, one that gave wins to Lancaster, Palmdale and Littlerock.
Following enough action for more than one game encapsulated into a single Golden League match, perhaps the news were too much for him to process anyway.
"No idea," Nichter said. "We're happy to be in third, though. We're starting to play well."