Cleveland Comes Up Short

It was only a matter of time.

Attrition, or lack of depth, finally caught up with the Cleveland High boys’ basketball team Wednesday night.

While Westchester went deep into its bench, Cleveland banked on six players to win its biggest game of the year.

Ten players scored for Westchester in its 83-65 victory over Cleveland in a a City Championship quarterfinal at Westchester.

“Our depth had to be the difference,” Coach Ed Azzam of Westchester said. “[Cleveland] had some very good players, but their guards had to be tired.”

The Cavaliers certainly had to be tired of watching sophomore guard Brandon Heath bury baskets for Westchester. Heath made five three-point baskets and finished with 23 points.

Or maybe it was the dunk contest that broke out in the fourth quarter with Heath and Jason Breland throwing down jams like they were putting exclamation points on a decisive victory. Breland finished with 13 points.

Second-seeded Westchester (21-6), ranked No. 16 in the state, led from the opening basket and was never threatened. The Comets play Fairfax in the semifinals Saturday night.

Cleveland (19-8), which has lost four players to discipline problems or grades in the last four weeks, cut the Comets’ lead to 44-35 with 6:41 left in the third quarter on a five-point run, all by Anthony Davis.

But that was as good as it would get for the Cavaliers, co-champions of the West Valley League.

“Every time we seemed on the brink of something, they made a bucket to answer,” Coach Adam Levitt of Cleveland said.

“Our guys were tired and it just seemed like we couldn’t get over the hump . . . not to mention they are an awesome team.”

Cleveland, which was outrebounded, 41-23, finally wilted and seemed to accept the inevitable early in the fourth quarter.

Westchester opened the quarter with a 7-2 run and extended its lead to 18 points on a basket by Ashanti Cook.

The Cavaliers, who had only four players score, got no closer than 13 points in the final five minutes.

“Fatigue got the best of us,” said Davis, who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Cleveland forced 17 turnovers but had little show for it. Westchester committed seven turnovers in the third quarter but still outscored Cleveland, 19-18.

Jeston Thompson finished with 16 points, Quenton Harvey added 14 and Grant Pledger had 11 for Cleveland.

Keith Everage added 14 points for Westchester.