Boys Basketball: McClendon, Eastside rally twice to beat Quartz Hill
Feb. 12, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
QUARTZ HILL — Eastside seemingly has been playing catch-up all season long.
There it was again in the form of a double-digit deficit in a must-win game on Thursday night against a group of pumped Rebels eager to show former teammate Jeffery McClendon he should have never left Quartz Hill.
"Standard Eastside basketball. Start slow, have to make a comeback," Lions head coach Jesse Parker said.
In a 64-57 win over McClendon's old school in the last day of Golden League play, the Lions rallied twice using defense that was anything but standard.
The Lions (9-14, 7-7 GL) dug themselves out of a 12-point second quarter hole by limiting Quartz Hill (10-13, 8-6) to two points in the period. They then performed a grand encore by turning an 11-point third-quarter deficit into a 12-point fourth-quarter lead, courtesy of a 23-0 run that spanned nearly 8 minutes.
"It's the Eastside defense," said McClendon, who played for Quartz Hill in the 2013-14 season. "We played hard on defense. That's what we do. We play hard on D. The offense is going to come."
McClendon's last basket was a 3-pointer with 4:50 to go in the fourth period to give his team a 55-44 lead. That capped a 27-point night for the senior, who fouled out moments later.
Led by Kaleb Fletcher, who scored nine of his 18 points in the final quarter, the rest of the Lions kept Quartz Hill at bay for the remainder of the game.
"I knew my team could hold (the lead)," McClendon said.
As the highly emotional game got underway, Eastside instead wondered if it'd even see the lead on this night.
K'Len Preyer's inspired first quarter helped the Rebels build a double-digit advantage in the period. The senior buried a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 11 points in the quarter as Quartz Hill held a 24-12 lead by the end of it.
"I told myself and my teammates before we even came out that we had to bring it to (McClendon), and that's what happened in the first quarter," Preyer said.
In the second quarter, however, neither Preyer nor any of his teammates could hit the ocean.
The Rebels' only basket of the period came on a putback by Ryan Norris with 48 seconds to go. The points sent Quartz Hill and Eastside tied 26-26 at halftime.
"We just went through a huge dry spell and we couldn't hit a shot," Quartz Hill head coach Bernard Nichter said. "It's one of those things."
It was actually two, and the Rebels couldn't overcome the second one.
After a layup by Brian Walsh midway through the third, Quartz Hill led 44-33. That would be the last points they'd score until a Darrian Hall 3-pointer with 4:06 to go in the game brought the Rebels within 56-47.
Even as McClendon fouled out, Quartz Hill wouldn't get closer than six points the rest of the way.
"We just got too comfortable," Preyer said. "When we get too comfortable, that's what happens."
Ezekiel Hampton-Armstrong led the Rebels with 15 points and Preyer, who only scored two points after his first-quarter flurry, finished with 13. Hall, who suffered a cut to his left eyebrow in the opening period, was in and out of the game trying to control the bleeding and ended up with eight points.
The game was of more significance to Eastside, which needed to win and have Antelope Valley lose to Highland to clinch fourth place and a playoff spot in the Golden League. With AV winning, the Lions will file for an at-large bid.
If Thursday happens to be the last game of the season for the Lions, who had three league victories stripped from them due to the use of an ineligible player, so be it, they said.
"I'd say the season went as well as it could with all the adversity," Parker said. "I'm proud of the guys whether we make the playoffs or not."
Added McClendon: "I'll always remember beating my old school."
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
QUARTZ HILL — Eastside seemingly has been playing catch-up all season long.
There it was again in the form of a double-digit deficit in a must-win game on Thursday night against a group of pumped Rebels eager to show former teammate Jeffery McClendon he should have never left Quartz Hill.
"Standard Eastside basketball. Start slow, have to make a comeback," Lions head coach Jesse Parker said.
In a 64-57 win over McClendon's old school in the last day of Golden League play, the Lions rallied twice using defense that was anything but standard.
The Lions (9-14, 7-7 GL) dug themselves out of a 12-point second quarter hole by limiting Quartz Hill (10-13, 8-6) to two points in the period. They then performed a grand encore by turning an 11-point third-quarter deficit into a 12-point fourth-quarter lead, courtesy of a 23-0 run that spanned nearly 8 minutes.
"It's the Eastside defense," said McClendon, who played for Quartz Hill in the 2013-14 season. "We played hard on defense. That's what we do. We play hard on D. The offense is going to come."
McClendon's last basket was a 3-pointer with 4:50 to go in the fourth period to give his team a 55-44 lead. That capped a 27-point night for the senior, who fouled out moments later.
Led by Kaleb Fletcher, who scored nine of his 18 points in the final quarter, the rest of the Lions kept Quartz Hill at bay for the remainder of the game.
"I knew my team could hold (the lead)," McClendon said.
As the highly emotional game got underway, Eastside instead wondered if it'd even see the lead on this night.
K'Len Preyer's inspired first quarter helped the Rebels build a double-digit advantage in the period. The senior buried a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 11 points in the quarter as Quartz Hill held a 24-12 lead by the end of it.
"I told myself and my teammates before we even came out that we had to bring it to (McClendon), and that's what happened in the first quarter," Preyer said.
In the second quarter, however, neither Preyer nor any of his teammates could hit the ocean.
The Rebels' only basket of the period came on a putback by Ryan Norris with 48 seconds to go. The points sent Quartz Hill and Eastside tied 26-26 at halftime.
"We just went through a huge dry spell and we couldn't hit a shot," Quartz Hill head coach Bernard Nichter said. "It's one of those things."
It was actually two, and the Rebels couldn't overcome the second one.
After a layup by Brian Walsh midway through the third, Quartz Hill led 44-33. That would be the last points they'd score until a Darrian Hall 3-pointer with 4:06 to go in the game brought the Rebels within 56-47.
Even as McClendon fouled out, Quartz Hill wouldn't get closer than six points the rest of the way.
"We just got too comfortable," Preyer said. "When we get too comfortable, that's what happens."
Ezekiel Hampton-Armstrong led the Rebels with 15 points and Preyer, who only scored two points after his first-quarter flurry, finished with 13. Hall, who suffered a cut to his left eyebrow in the opening period, was in and out of the game trying to control the bleeding and ended up with eight points.
The game was of more significance to Eastside, which needed to win and have Antelope Valley lose to Highland to clinch fourth place and a playoff spot in the Golden League. With AV winning, the Lions will file for an at-large bid.
If Thursday happens to be the last game of the season for the Lions, who had three league victories stripped from them due to the use of an ineligible player, so be it, they said.
"I'd say the season went as well as it could with all the adversity," Parker said. "I'm proud of the guys whether we make the playoffs or not."
Added McClendon: "I'll always remember beating my old school."