Boys Basketball: Quartz Hill gets win vs. old teammate, Lions
Jan. 20, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — For all of the 2013-14 season, Eastside's Jeffery McClendon grew up bleeding Quartz Hill blue and gold. But when his grandmother had to move to the east side of Lancaster, he had no choice but to come along, becoming a Lion by default.
On Tuesday, as McClendon faced his former teammates for the first time, the Rebels more than knew what to expect.
"Most of the offense is ran through him," Quartz Hill's K'Len Preyer said. "So we knew if we stopped him, that's the game."
Stopping him on this night meant holding McClendon to a season-high 35 points, good enough to deliver him and the Lions a stunning wire-to-wire 73-64 Golden League defeat.
In giving up more than half of Eastside's total points to the former Rebel, Quartz Hill (6-9, 4-3 GL) held everyone else in check offensively. Last year's co-champions also used a balanced attack and had four different players score in double figures.
"I loved the way we played today," Quartz Hill coach Bernard Nichter said.
In a season where they've already dropped more league games in half the time than in all of 2013-14, it was the Rebels' biggest win. That it came against their old friend at his new team's house only made it sweeter.
"We tried to show him that, you know, 'Why'd you leave us?'" Preyer said. "But hey, he had to do what he had to do. But like I said, it was fun."
After three quarters of mostly misfires, McClendon almost showed Quartz Hill.
The senior scored 14 of his points in the final quarter, hitting three 3-pointers - including one where he was fouled - and turning what had been a 15-point hole just moments before into a five-point deficit with 3:03 to play.
"That's what he does," Eastside coach Jesse Parker said. "He's a special player and he made some special plays late in the game."
But the hot hand didn't last long enough. McClendon misfired on his last three 3-point tries and the Rebels held on.
"It was just too little too late," Parker said.
McClendon scored his team's first seven points. The Rebels countered by dropping trey after trey.
Darrian Hall, who led Quartz Hill with 18 points, hit two of four 3-pointers for the Rebels in the first quarter as they took a 22-15 lead at the end of it. He added two more in the fourth as McClendon went on his onslaught.
Preyer connected on three 3-pointers and scored 12 points, as did teammate Christopher Young. Big man Brian Walsh picked up 14 points.
For Eastside, Anthony Thompson had 13 points, scoring seven in the final quarter. No other Lion scored more than six.
"The other guys just have to step up," Parker said. "One guy isn't going to beat five and I thought Quartz Hill shared the ball well tonight."
At times, it seemed as if it was McClendon against all five Rebels by himself offensively. His relentlessness attacking the basket earned him more than his share of trips to the free-throw line, where he picked up 14 points.
But whenever Eastside made any type of run, the Rebels found a man cutting open for a layup or someone in the corner for a backbreaking 3-pointer.
The loss was particularly deflating for the Lions, who were coming off their own big win on Friday against league-leading Highland.
"It's a real big letdown," McClendon said. "But we're going to come back."
On Tuesday, the Lions almost did. Quartz Hill just wouldn't let them.
"We didn't come out with the right intensity or mindset or whatever," Parker said. "But give credit to Quartz Hill. They came in here and shot lights out."
Following the game, the Rebels met with McClendon at midcourt, probably to give him a hard time, the first taste of the temporary bragging rights they earned with the road win.
McClendon will get a chance at payback when he pays a visit to his Quartz Hill friends on Feb. 12. It's the last day of the regular season.
He's looking forward to that.
"I came from that school so I'm not going to have animosity against them," McClendon said of Quartz Hill. "I grew up with them. They just came out and played harder."
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — For all of the 2013-14 season, Eastside's Jeffery McClendon grew up bleeding Quartz Hill blue and gold. But when his grandmother had to move to the east side of Lancaster, he had no choice but to come along, becoming a Lion by default.
On Tuesday, as McClendon faced his former teammates for the first time, the Rebels more than knew what to expect.
"Most of the offense is ran through him," Quartz Hill's K'Len Preyer said. "So we knew if we stopped him, that's the game."
Stopping him on this night meant holding McClendon to a season-high 35 points, good enough to deliver him and the Lions a stunning wire-to-wire 73-64 Golden League defeat.
In giving up more than half of Eastside's total points to the former Rebel, Quartz Hill (6-9, 4-3 GL) held everyone else in check offensively. Last year's co-champions also used a balanced attack and had four different players score in double figures.
"I loved the way we played today," Quartz Hill coach Bernard Nichter said.
In a season where they've already dropped more league games in half the time than in all of 2013-14, it was the Rebels' biggest win. That it came against their old friend at his new team's house only made it sweeter.
"We tried to show him that, you know, 'Why'd you leave us?'" Preyer said. "But hey, he had to do what he had to do. But like I said, it was fun."
After three quarters of mostly misfires, McClendon almost showed Quartz Hill.
The senior scored 14 of his points in the final quarter, hitting three 3-pointers - including one where he was fouled - and turning what had been a 15-point hole just moments before into a five-point deficit with 3:03 to play.
"That's what he does," Eastside coach Jesse Parker said. "He's a special player and he made some special plays late in the game."
But the hot hand didn't last long enough. McClendon misfired on his last three 3-point tries and the Rebels held on.
"It was just too little too late," Parker said.
McClendon scored his team's first seven points. The Rebels countered by dropping trey after trey.
Darrian Hall, who led Quartz Hill with 18 points, hit two of four 3-pointers for the Rebels in the first quarter as they took a 22-15 lead at the end of it. He added two more in the fourth as McClendon went on his onslaught.
Preyer connected on three 3-pointers and scored 12 points, as did teammate Christopher Young. Big man Brian Walsh picked up 14 points.
For Eastside, Anthony Thompson had 13 points, scoring seven in the final quarter. No other Lion scored more than six.
"The other guys just have to step up," Parker said. "One guy isn't going to beat five and I thought Quartz Hill shared the ball well tonight."
At times, it seemed as if it was McClendon against all five Rebels by himself offensively. His relentlessness attacking the basket earned him more than his share of trips to the free-throw line, where he picked up 14 points.
But whenever Eastside made any type of run, the Rebels found a man cutting open for a layup or someone in the corner for a backbreaking 3-pointer.
The loss was particularly deflating for the Lions, who were coming off their own big win on Friday against league-leading Highland.
"It's a real big letdown," McClendon said. "But we're going to come back."
On Tuesday, the Lions almost did. Quartz Hill just wouldn't let them.
"We didn't come out with the right intensity or mindset or whatever," Parker said. "But give credit to Quartz Hill. They came in here and shot lights out."
Following the game, the Rebels met with McClendon at midcourt, probably to give him a hard time, the first taste of the temporary bragging rights they earned with the road win.
McClendon will get a chance at payback when he pays a visit to his Quartz Hill friends on Feb. 12. It's the last day of the regular season.
He's looking forward to that.
"I came from that school so I'm not going to have animosity against them," McClendon said of Quartz Hill. "I grew up with them. They just came out and played harder."