BY PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two weeks ago, East High opened its season with a four-point loss on the road in Buffalo.
On Saturday afternoon, the Eagles had a chance to avenge that setback.
And they did so with emphasis.
Four players scored in double figures and the Eagles’ defense forced 21 turnovers in a convincing 96-72 win over perennial Section VI powerhouse, Park School
“Today we did a better job of scrapping and banging,” East head coach Darrell Barley said referring to the prior loss. “Everybody played a good game. Everybody stepped up.”
Damani Barley and Clinique Jackson highlighted a decisive third-quarter run as East turned a two-point edge into a double-digit advantage.
“We got guys who trust each other,” the elder Barley said. “No one cares who gets the glory or scores the points. You play the right way and good things happen.”
Damani Barley scored 10 of his 23 points on the day in the first three minutes of the second half.
“I knew if we were going to win this game, I was going to have to be more aggressive,” Damani Barley said. “They were denying me the ball, so on fast break opportunities I had to go hard.”
The junior guard started East’s second-half scoring with a corner three on the break. Then Jackson forced a turnover and led his teammate into the open court for a layup.
Clinique Jackson forces the turnover on one end and leads Damani Barley for the layup on the other end . East 42-35 pic.twitter.com/K64JFoALSK
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2021
Four possessions later, Barley got ahead of the defense for two more. Next trip down the floor, Jackson used a spin move to get in the lane and feathered a pass to Barley in the left corner for another triple.
Clinique Jackson penetrate and pitch. Damani Barley hits from the corner. Barley has 10 this quarter. East 53-39. pic.twitter.com/rURfRrO4ei
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2021
“When Clinique drove, I had a feeling he was going to kick it out,” Damani Barley explained. “I just ran to the corner and knocked it down. I had to be confident in my shot.”
East led 53-39 and did not look back.
“Take better shots and play better defense,” said Jackson who also scored four points during that stretch. “Everybody knew what they had to do. We had to talk to each other.”
The lead swelled to 20 on the first possession of the fourth quarter when Jackson converted a rebound and putback.
“We did a good job not leaving [Keonjay Carter] and [Desmond Davis] during that spurt,” Darrell Barley said. “Clinique had a bunch of steals and rebounds for great outlets, easy transition points. Damani was hot tonight.”
East’s defense forced seven turnovers while limiting Park to five field goals during the stanza.
“Defense wins games, so as a team we had to play better defense,” Jackson stated.
The win came despite starting guard Justus Ross-Simmons being limited because of foul trouble.
Ross-Simmons picked up his second foul late in the first quarter and did not play the final two-plus minutes of the period. He was whistled for his third infraction with 4:05 remaining in the second quarter. Again he returned to the bench, this time until the third quarter.
“We’re a team,” Darrell Barley said matter-of-factly. “Any guy could step up at any time. Five can drive to the basket and knock down threes.”
Ross-Simmons returned to the game and scored 10 of his 22 points in the second half including a powerful dunk over a pair of Park School defenders.
“That’s one of the best dunks I’ve seen,” Darrell Barley said. “A tough right-hand dunk over two people.”
The Big Payback. East avenges its only loss with a 96-72 victory. Go Eagles! @GoEastEagles @EastEpo pic.twitter.com/QVzRHGoa8c
— Shaun Nelms, Ed.D. (@DrNelms) February 27, 2021
East opened the game on a 17-3 run. Ross-Simmons started the scoring with a with a putback. Barley followed with his first of five 3-pointers on the day. Ross-Simmons scored back-to-back buckets and then converted a pair of free throws. Darren Blocker, Jr. nailed a three to force a timeout from the Park bench.
Clinique Jackson hits a cutting Justus Ross-Simmons East 24-16 pic.twitter.com/yircl9duU2
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2021
Kai McCullough finished in the lane then hit one of two at the stripe for the 14-point advantage.
Blocker paced East with 25 points on the day. The 6-foot-8 senior connected nine times from the floor including a pair of 3-pointers.
Darren Blocker buries one from behind the 3-point arc. East 14-3. pic.twitter.com/IS8oT1LQre
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2021
McCullough added 16 points. Shamir Caruthers had two points.
Carter and Caleb Hutchins combined for 12 points in the second quarter to help Park pull within five at halftime. Carter hit a three to start the second half and cut the deficit to two at 37-35.
“They got some athletes on their team,” Darrell Barley said. “They go at it hard.”
Ross-Simmons grabbed 15 rebounds for the double-double. Blocker corralled 12 boards. Jackson had 11 caroms. Barley handed out five assists. McCullough collected four steals.
Kai McCullough finds Damani Barley for 3. East 83-59 pic.twitter.com/wFhdJ7sbPz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2021
The win was the sixth by double digits for East (6-1) which struggled at the free throw line in the earlier loss.
“They out-scrapped us,” Darrell Barley said of the earlier meeting. “We missed 15 free throws. You can’t beat a good team, you can barely beat any team missing 15 free throws especially out of town.”
Carter paced the Park School (5-2) offense on Saturday with 35 points. The senior guard converted 18-of-19 free throws. Hutchins added 17 points, and Desmond Davis had 12.
East, which holds the top spot in Section V’s Class A2, has five games scheduled over the next six days with sectionals scheduled to begin on March 8th.
Darren Blocker leads Justus Ross-Simmons for the flush. East 75-57 pic.twitter.com/Qwo1fDBa37
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 27, 2021
“Our job is not done,” Darrell Barley said. “It’s day in and day out, so we got to keep up the pace.”
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