Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

high school basketball:

Clark turns up defensive pressure, beats Desert Pines for Southern Region title

High School Basketball Teams

Christopher DeVargas

Clark High basketball players, from left, Ty’Rek Wells, Colby Jackson, Carter Olsen.

Prep Sports Now

Surveying the postseason

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer return with a discussion on all three brackets commencing this week — the Sunrise region, the Sunset region and the Division 1-A Southern region.

A loss might have saved the Clark High basketball team’s season.

If the Chargers would not have lost to Faith Lutheran last month during league play, they might not have been able to fix some holes with their defense in time for the playoffs. The defending state champions also needed a wakeup call — repeating would be no easy task.

The defense, especially in the post, was the difference today in a 56-51 victory against Desert Pines in the Division I-A Southern Region championship game at Spring Valley. Clark limited Desert Pines standout forward Trevon Abdullah to eight points, and outmuscled the Jaguars on the inside and near the rim to prevail in a back-and-forth affair.

Clark and Desert Pines, the 2013 state champions, both advance to next week’s state tournament in Las Vegas. They will likely renew their rivalry next Saturday in the state championship game.

Clark has played in the past two state championship games, losing to Desert Pines in 2013 and winning last season against Elko. The adjustments defensively after the setback to Faith Lutheran have the Chargers in position to defend their title.

“You have to lose some times to learn how to win,” Clark coach Chad Beeten said. “It was that loss without a doubt that spring boarded us to this point. Defense, defense, defense. We hold teams in the league to 39 points per game. Faith got 42 on us in the second half. It was back to basics. We watched a lot film. It was an eye-opener for us.”

One play changed the complexion of the game. With seconds winding down in the third quarter, senior Ty’Rek Wells elevated high for a dunk as the buzzer sounded to give Clark a 41-40 lead. It would never trail again.

“A dunk is always going to pump us up,” Wells said. “It also pumps up the crowd. The crowd’s energy gives us momentum on defense.”

This is the third season of making a playoff run for Clark’s Big 3 — Wells and the backcourt of Colby Jackson and Carter Olsen. Fittingly, the trio each scored in double figures.

Jackson scored a game-high 19 points, including a 3-point play with 5:47 remaining to give Clark a 50-42 lead. Jackson stole the ball around midcourt and scored while being fouled. He flexed his muscles in celebration.

Desert Pines led 15-8 early behind seven quick points from sophomore guard Capri Uzan. But Clark’s Jackson and Olsen quickly trimmed the deficit, starting with a 3-pointer from Jackson in the final seconds of the first quarter.

Olsen connected on 3-pointers on his initial two touches of the second quarter, igniting another back and forth game between the schools. In the 2013 state championship game, Clark led by double digits in the fourth quarter before Desert Pines stormed back to win.

Desert Pines wouldn’t rally today. Not with Clark’s stingy defense.

“We gave them a lot of open looks and a lot of shots they shouldn’t have,” Olsen said of the Faith Lutheran loss. “That just really squared us defensively. We have picked it up since then.”

Desert Pines senior guard Colby Myles scored a team-high 18 points and matched Olsen shot for shot from beyond the 3-point line. His four 3-pointers during the second and third quarter helped Desert Pines grab a 38-32 lead.

But Desert Pines lost its outside shooting touch in the fourth quarter — a testament to Clark’s improved play defensively.

Desert Pines plays Northern Region champion Elko at 4:40 p.m. next Friday at Silverado in the state semifinals. Clark gets Lowry from the north at 8 p.m. The winners advance to the state championship game at 4:30 p.m. next Saturday at the Orleans Arena.

“At the end of the day, this is the Southern Region championship,” Beeten said. “Everybody’s goal at the beginning of the year is to win the state championship. I’m sure Desert Pines (feels that way) as well. They are probably back there saying we have one more shot next week.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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