Girls Basketball: AV makes heroic comeback, but falls short in quarterfinals
Feb. 25, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
WEST COVINA — The final buzzer was still moments away during Antelope Valley's 50-47 CIF Southern Section Division 3AA quarterfinal defeat at South Hills on Wednesday night, but tears had already swelled up in several of the Antelopes' eyes as the Huskies' Brittany Wang dribbled off the final seconds of her team's win.
As thundering victory music boomed through the West Covina gym, the 'Lopes silently left through the back door, into the cold and darkness of the night that could do little to hide a pain similar to one they felt a year before when their season ended in the first round.
"This is going to burn for another year," AV head coach Deon Price said.
The Antelopes (25-2) know heartbreak. This time, however, they won't have anything to hang their heads over as they go into the offseason.
A year after losing despite holding a one-point lead and possession of the ball with 0.3 seconds to go in the 2013-14 playoffs — something the 'Lopes have gone on to call "the 0.3 game" — AV's quarterfinal matchup against South Hills (23-6) only left a bitter taste for the 'Lopes because an impressive fourth-quarter effort came up just short.
Trailing by double digits since midway through the first quarter and into the fourth, third-seeded AV staged a gutsy rally in the game's final minute, cutting an eight-point lead down to two in 40 seconds.
Niyah Page's layup plus a foul shot drew the Antelopes, who had a 22-game winning streak snapped, within 49-47 with 17.4 seconds to go.
"We never gave up," said Antelopes sophomore Tatyana Lyles, who led the team in scoring with 13 points.
Being forced to foul, AV put Wang at the free-throw line with 12 seconds to go. She made the first free throw and missed the second one, but the rebound was grabbed by a Husky, who threw it back to Wang.
As the home crowd roared in approval and Wang dribbled the ball around, the 'Lopes seemed stunned, trying to get the ball back but choosing not to foul. The horn went off moments after and the South Hills' bench was complete bedlam as AV walked off the court in a world of hurt.
"I thought we had it," Lyles said.
AV won the final quarter 22-15. Junior Tylen Price, limited by foul trouble all night, threw in two 3-pointers in the period.
All of South Hills' points in the fourth quarter came on free throws, 10 of them by Wang, who led all scorers with 17 points.
For AV — which was down 10-0 to start the game, then 20-6 early in the second and 35-19 midway through the third — it was the fourth time in the last six seasons in which its playoff run ends in the quarterfinals.
"We've been trying to knock down that wall," said Price, a coaching member of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 AV playoff teams. "That wall is still standing in front of us."
Reminiscent of a popular horror movie title, South Hills fans were wearing shirts that read, "the Hills are alive." The beginning of the game was indeed horrific for the 'Lopes.
Bothered by a raucous crowd that let it hear it after every mistake, AV started the game with a handful of turnovers and missed layups. A 12-6 deficit at the end of the first quarter seemed like quite a fortunate break for the 'Lopes, who went into halftime down 25-15.
"We made a lot of mistakes throughout the game," Price said. "The crowd was into it. I don't think my kids have seen anything like that all year."
As AV turned up its defense, it drew closer throughout. But the 'Lopes never seemed to draw close enough. Until the fourth.
Then, they came a play or two away from a memorable win. Instead, they had their hearts broken again.
This time, they'll take it.
"We just got to learn how to deal with adversity and realize that as long as there's time on the clock, there's still a chance," Price said. "We got a lot of youth on our team. We had a heck of a season."
Added Lyles: "We never put our heads down. We always stayed together."
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
WEST COVINA — The final buzzer was still moments away during Antelope Valley's 50-47 CIF Southern Section Division 3AA quarterfinal defeat at South Hills on Wednesday night, but tears had already swelled up in several of the Antelopes' eyes as the Huskies' Brittany Wang dribbled off the final seconds of her team's win.
As thundering victory music boomed through the West Covina gym, the 'Lopes silently left through the back door, into the cold and darkness of the night that could do little to hide a pain similar to one they felt a year before when their season ended in the first round.
"This is going to burn for another year," AV head coach Deon Price said.
The Antelopes (25-2) know heartbreak. This time, however, they won't have anything to hang their heads over as they go into the offseason.
A year after losing despite holding a one-point lead and possession of the ball with 0.3 seconds to go in the 2013-14 playoffs — something the 'Lopes have gone on to call "the 0.3 game" — AV's quarterfinal matchup against South Hills (23-6) only left a bitter taste for the 'Lopes because an impressive fourth-quarter effort came up just short.
Trailing by double digits since midway through the first quarter and into the fourth, third-seeded AV staged a gutsy rally in the game's final minute, cutting an eight-point lead down to two in 40 seconds.
Niyah Page's layup plus a foul shot drew the Antelopes, who had a 22-game winning streak snapped, within 49-47 with 17.4 seconds to go.
"We never gave up," said Antelopes sophomore Tatyana Lyles, who led the team in scoring with 13 points.
Being forced to foul, AV put Wang at the free-throw line with 12 seconds to go. She made the first free throw and missed the second one, but the rebound was grabbed by a Husky, who threw it back to Wang.
As the home crowd roared in approval and Wang dribbled the ball around, the 'Lopes seemed stunned, trying to get the ball back but choosing not to foul. The horn went off moments after and the South Hills' bench was complete bedlam as AV walked off the court in a world of hurt.
"I thought we had it," Lyles said.
AV won the final quarter 22-15. Junior Tylen Price, limited by foul trouble all night, threw in two 3-pointers in the period.
All of South Hills' points in the fourth quarter came on free throws, 10 of them by Wang, who led all scorers with 17 points.
For AV — which was down 10-0 to start the game, then 20-6 early in the second and 35-19 midway through the third — it was the fourth time in the last six seasons in which its playoff run ends in the quarterfinals.
"We've been trying to knock down that wall," said Price, a coaching member of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 AV playoff teams. "That wall is still standing in front of us."
Reminiscent of a popular horror movie title, South Hills fans were wearing shirts that read, "the Hills are alive." The beginning of the game was indeed horrific for the 'Lopes.
Bothered by a raucous crowd that let it hear it after every mistake, AV started the game with a handful of turnovers and missed layups. A 12-6 deficit at the end of the first quarter seemed like quite a fortunate break for the 'Lopes, who went into halftime down 25-15.
"We made a lot of mistakes throughout the game," Price said. "The crowd was into it. I don't think my kids have seen anything like that all year."
As AV turned up its defense, it drew closer throughout. But the 'Lopes never seemed to draw close enough. Until the fourth.
Then, they came a play or two away from a memorable win. Instead, they had their hearts broken again.
This time, they'll take it.
"We just got to learn how to deal with adversity and realize that as long as there's time on the clock, there's still a chance," Price said. "We got a lot of youth on our team. We had a heck of a season."
Added Lyles: "We never put our heads down. We always stayed together."