Patriots avenge earlier SEYL loss to Blades, improve to 6-1
| Friday, Jan 30 2009 02:00 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:31 PM
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East's D.J. Shelton (23) blocks a shot by Liberty's Westin Hill in the first quarter Thursday at East.
Liberty's Westin Hill heads for a fast break hoops against East's Daythen Fernandez in the first quarter Thursday.
Defense. Avenging losses. Hitting big shots. Turning big road games into comfortable victories. These are things championship teams do.
For the first time in school history, these are things Liberty’s boys basketball team is doing. Playing a stifling man-to-man defense and running its motion offense to perfection, Liberty blasted East 68-50 on Thursday in a battle of SEYL co-leaders at East.
“We’ve been close a few years, but this is the first time we’re really battling for the league title,” first-year Liberty coach Andy Hicks said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”
The Patriots (19-3, 6-1 SEYL), who won just three league games a year ago, now share the top of the standings with Garces, which improved to 6-1 with a win against Golden Valley. East (11-9, 5-2) is a game back.
Liberty, which won its first varsity tournament in school history already this season, is seeking its first league title. Its only league loss was to East, 69-67, to open SEYL play.
“We really felt like we let that one get away,” said senior Cody Darling, who led the Pats with 20 points. “We really wanted to prove a point in this game and show everybody that was kind of a fluke.”
Darling added 11 rebounds, Westin Hill had 14 points and point guard Sam Marcus 12 points and 10 assists.
“I think a lot of the difference in the game was the Marcus kid,” East coach Milt Henderson said. “He got in the lane, and when he gets in there, he creates havoc. We slide over, and he kicks it out to those shooters.”
It was Liberty’s defense, though, that allowed them to get a big lead. East guards Daythen Fernandez and Robert Rendon combined for 33 points in the teams’ first meeting, so the Patriots were set on guarding the perimeter closely this time around.
“We’ve been working really hard on closing out and limiting their shots,” Hicks said. “Our defense was outstanding.”
Henderson said Fernandez also has a bum ankle that’s causing him shooting problems. Either way, Fernandez and Rendon combined for just 5 points.
Domonique Stancil led East with 14 points.
Blades big man D.J. Shelton did hit three 3-pointers, but he added just four other points in the paint. He collected his fourth foul late in the third quarter and didn’t return to the game.
“We’re competing hard,” Henderson said. “Sometimes it falls for you, sometimes it doesn’t. There are loose balls that seem like sometimes they just roll their direction.”
On the other end of that stick — at long last — is Liberty.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Darling said. “I’ve been on varsity four years, and I’ve never had an opportunity like this. It feels great.”
