Clear Lake Falconhoops

Last month in the tournament in San Diego we saw the Clear Lake Falcons rise to a higher level of playing than they had displayed thus far this season. Not just in part of one game or for one whole game but in almost every minute of four consecutive games. Who knows what the catalyst was to make it happen. Perhaps it was the knowledge of the level of the competition. Perhaps it was the California air. Could have been the five days off so they were more rested and relaxed. Could have been they just wanted to have fun and felt no pressure to perform at their peak. No one knows why but it happened and it was very obvious and noteworthy. Since their return home to Texas there have been moments of brilliance as a team but not a complete quarter to equal the outstanding play the Falcons individually and collectively demonstrated in the Holiday Prep Classic Tournament in San Diego. That is, not until the fourth quarter of the Clear Lake – Clear Creek shootout tonight in the George Carlisle Field House.

On paper the matchup between Lake and Creek should have been an easy victory for Clear Lake if you believe the numbers. Lake, with a record of 20-6, was facing a Creek team with a record of 12-12. Clear Lake is ranked 7^th in the region; Creek is unranked. Clear Creek has lost their outstanding coach, Buddy Carlisle, to retirement, and their new coach, Danny Randall, is in his first season in 5A ball. But in high school basketball, especially in a rivalry like Lake-Creek, anything is possible. And the Clear Creek Wildcats proved it for three quarters of the game.

Due to possible freezing temperatures and potential bad driving conditions the Freshman and Sophomore games were cancelled. The Junior Varsity and Varsity game times were moved up to allow a 5:30 p.m. tip-off for the Varsity game. In the first quarter Clear Lake was slightly outplayed. The lead changed at least five times and the game was tied at 8 with 1:48 remaining in the period. With 25 seconds left in the quarter Creek went ahead 14-11 before the quarter ended.

Thirty seconds in the second quarter a Creek three made it 17-11. A basket by Andrew Gorie on an assist from Cody Kinsey made it 17-13. Clear Lake brought the level of play up a notch and got into the game more after the first minute of the quarter. After trailing throughout the first four minutes of the quarter, Lake went ahead 21-22 on a basket by RJ Turner after a steal in the backcourt. A minute later Creek was ahead by 3. On a great pass from RJ a basket by Armie Lewis and a free throw by Jimmy Witten tied it at 25 with 2:16 remaining. Creek drained a trey to regain the lead. Their outside shooting was better than Lake’s in the first half. Creek was up 30-27 at the half.

At halftime what do you say to a team drastically underperforming like the Falcons were? The third quarter was more of the same. Lake was playing okay, Creek was playing better. In the first two minutes of the second half Creek increased their lead to 7, 36-29. With 4:15 left in the third quarter and the score at 40-31, Kendrell Thompson nailed a three on an assist from RJ to make it 40-34. Upon entering the game, Cody Kinsey found Kendrell open on the arc and another trey by Kendrell made it 40-37. A high arching floater in the paint by Armie made it 40-39 with 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter. At 2:27 a free throw by Jimmy tied the game at 40 (the game was tied once in each of the four quarters). A second free throw by Jimmy put Lake up by 1, 40-41. Creek regained the lead and went ahead 46-41 before a basket and a free throw by Jimmy made it 46-44 to close the quarter.

In the fourth quarter Clear Lake had had enough of this nonsense. Without changing any players, Lake sent in their other team, the one that loves the pressure defense and delights in the effectiveness of their zone traps. Less than 30 seconds into the final period a putback by Fulton Brisco tied the game at 46 for the final tie of the game. Lake really went to work on Creek and showed what they could do if they wanted to. Great pressure defense, aggressive offense, finding the open man, and scoring on well executed plays just like the coach had drawn on the board was too much for Creek. For over five minutes Lake put on a clinic while the Wildcats somewhat helplessly watched. Jimmy Witten and his teammates were on fire as they increased their lead to 12 in the first three minutes. With 2:42 remaining in the ball game, the score at 46-63, Lake up by 17 points, Creek finally scored a free throw, their first point of the quarter. Lake had held them scoreless for 5:18 in the final quarter while the Falcons had scored 22 consecutive unanswered points (counting the 3 at the end of the third quarter). This has never been done to a Clear Creek team by Lake since Clear Lake High School was built. The Falcons continued to pound away and it was 48-73, Lake up by 25 before the Falcons eased off and started running out the clock. When Fulton (6 points in the 4^th quarter), RJ (7 points), Jimmy (4), Armie (2), Anthony Bilcic (6), and Kendrell (6) finished their offensive demonstrations, they had scored 31 points in the quarter (13 of 21 from the field, 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the quarter). WOW! Talk about exploding. Creek hit their first field goal of the final quarter with 1:25 remaining. The final score was 54-75.

Footnote: In 1989 in the state finals against San Antonio John Jay High School (39-0 coming into the game), Clear Lake made 21 unanswered points in the third quarter against the only undefeated team in the state in 5A. That basketball game was selected the high school game of the decade in Texas and they are still talking about it.

Individual Scoring:
Kendrell Thompson 17, Jimmy Witten 16, Armie Lewis 14, RJ Turner 11,
Fulton Brisco 8, Anthony Bilcic 6, Andrew Gorie 3

FALCON STATS	FG made	FG attempts	%
2's	23	39	58.9%
3's	6	21	28.6%
free throws	11	14	78.6%

SCORE BY QUARTER	1	2	3	4
Clear Lake	11	27	44	75
Clear Creek	14	30	46	54

LINESCORE	1	2	3	4	Final
Clear Lake	11	16	17	31	75
Clear Creek	14	16	16	8	54

REBOUNDS	LAKE	THEM
Offensive	7
Defensive	10