Wolf Pack win with fourth-quarter flurry

By Bill Dickens
Updated: January 16, 2016

2015-16 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

By Bill Dickens

EastCountySports.com

SPRING VALLEY – In a game that turned out to be free scoring in the first quarter of Friday’s (Jan. 15) Grossmont Hills League opener, West Hills squeezed out a one point win, 58-57.

West Hills Marco Ovies is guarded by Steele Canyon’s Jalen Sayles Friday night. / photo by Ramon Scott

“Steele Canyon literally led for the whole game,” recalled Cougars coach DEREK STEPHENS.

According to the coach Steele Canyon was up 5 points with a minute and a half to play. West Hills scored to cut it to 3. The Pack got an easy fast break for a layup to cut it to one point.

West Hills was called for only four fouls.

Steele Canyon got the ball with 20 seconds remaining. “We moved the ball really well and had an open lane to the basket and were fouled for a one and one,” Stephens said. “We missed the first free throw.”

EastCountySports.com photo

The Pack’s BRYCE PARSONS put the ball up and it rolled in. With less that 10 second left West Hills fouled MARCUS WHITE. He made the first free throw and missed the second.

“We got a three-quarter shot that didn’t go in,” said Stephens. “It was a tough one to lose but we played well enough to win.”

Parsons finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds.

JALEN SAYLES and GAGE SANDERS both finished with 17 points for the Cougars.

Steele Canyon’s Jalen Sayles during a fast break Friday night against visiting West Hills. / photo by Ramon Scott

West Hills scrambled back from a nine-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, but closed to within a point in the final minute.

West Hills senior point guard MARCO OVIES then went to work, scrambling with his dribble around the left side, he darted past the defender underneath the basket, when he made a blind dish to Parsons, who put it in the bucket for the go-ahead score with 8.5 seconds remaining.

West Hills: Bryce Parsons 25 (9 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Cameron Barry 6 (1 reb, 2 ast), Miguel Nava 6 (3 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), D’Ante Hill 5 (1 ast), Marquell Cool 5 (1 reb, 2 ast), Marco Ovies 3 (4 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Kyle Ruiz 2 (1 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk), Cesar Curet 2 (1 reb, 2 stl), Chris Moyer 2 (2 reb, 1 blk), Spencer Moyer 2 (1 ast), Nathan Ball (7 reb).

Steele Canyon: Jalen Sayles 17, Gage Sanders 17, Javon Nutter 8, Marcus White 5, Nick Hodge 5, Thomas Fishburne 5.