Antelope Valley Flattens Quartz Hill

Make no mistake. Antelope Valley is the team to beat this season in the Golden League girls’ basketball race.

That was made crystal clear by Crystal McCutcheon, the Antelopes’ senior guard, after a 77-58 rout of Quartz Hill on Tuesday night.

“People said that Quartz Hill and Palmdale were our biggest threats,” the Pepperdine-bound McCutcheon said.

“We don’t think anyone’s a threat and we wanted to make a statement [Tuesday night].”

Message heard loud and clear.

Antelope Valley (16-3, 2-0 in league play), the defending league champion, raced to a 13-0 lead, withstood a brief surge by the Rebels (12-4, 1-1), then extended its lead to 65-36 in the third quarter.

McCutcheon, an All-Valley selection by The Times as a junior, had 15 points, nine steals, nine assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

But Tuesday’s statement was made by a chorus of voices, which is what makes Antelope Valley so dangerous.

Four Antelopes average in double figures.

Their leading scorer, sophomore Shaquina Mosley, comes off the bench.

Against Quartz Hill, Jacquana Young had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Kristal Fox had 14 points and nine rebounds.

Mosley scored 13 points and Sheena Crenshaw added 11.

“When we have that, we’re tough to beat,” Coach April Davenport said.

Quartz Hill, ranked No. 10 in the region, learned that quickly. Four minutes into the game, every Antelope Valley starter had scored.

Out-sized and outrebounded, the Rebels tried to answer with a barrage of outside shots.

They made seven three-point baskets, including three by Sharonne Herbert in the first quarter as Quartz Hill rallied from the disastrous start to trail, 19-16, after one quarter.

Herbert finished with 17 points, including four three-pointers. Freshman guard Jessie Mira scored 16 points and Cassie Corless added 12.

Quartz Hill stayed close at the start of the second quarter, but Antelope Valley erupted for 27 points to claim a 46-27 halftime lead.

At the end of the third quarter, the Antelopes had made 24 of 45 shots, many set up by McCutcheon’s precision passing to Young and Fox in the lane, and led, 67-43.

Antelope Valley made 18 of 31 free throws. Quartz Hill was 15 for 20.

“They’ve got a lot of horses,” Coach Steve Lankford of Quartz Hill said. “And they played extremely well.”

It was a victory Davenport is glad is behind her, despite her team’s apparent confidence.

“Quartz Hill and Palmdale are, to me, the obvious [threats],” said Davenport, whose team hosts Palmdale next Tuesday in another key league game. “That was a good win for us.”