QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (2-6) defeated the Othello Huskies (2-6) 80-71 to earn their second win of the season. They also celebrated Pierce Bierlink becoming the all-time scoring leader in Quincy basketball history.  

“It feels amazing. I grew up as a kid in Quincy watching Quincy basketball games. My dad's been a coach here for quite a while. My brother played here, and I just think it's been a really big part of my growth here at Quincy,” Pierce said.  

The Jacks jumped ahead of the Huskies early on and took a 17-11 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Huskies bounced back in the second quarter with 19 points, but Quincy was still able to outscore them with 21 points and keep the lead at halftime. Othello came out in the second half and hit a lot of inside shots to keep the game competitive. However, the Jacks capitalized on foul calls to run away with the lead and ultimately the game. 

“We played well offensively,” Quincy head coach Scott Bierlink said. “Which is surprising, because last night I think we shot about 15% against Ephrata. We couldn't throw it in the ocean yesterday. I think the guys were a little frustrated, and so we came with a little pep in our step, and we got it rolling earlier. I think that just built some momentum for us.” 

The Jacks leaned on ball movement early in the first quarter, which led to open shots like a three-pointer from the corner by Erick Zepeda.  

“He's great,” Scott said. “He does all the little stuff. He plays defense; he's scrappy, and he can shoot it. I kind of told him, ‘Teams are going to start doubling Pierce, and he's going to have to take control, and he's more than capable of that, but he's a joy to coach. I just love him.'” 

Cristian Ruiz also hit a three, and Pierce was consistent inside the paint with three buckets of his own.  

The Huskies’ Kingston Valdez, Brodee Henley and Luis Farias Villanueva were able to keep the game close, only trailing 17-11 at the end of the first quarter.  

While the Jacks continued to build their momentum offensively, the Huskies also improved in the second quarter. They utilized passing to find their way to the basket and were able to put up 18 points. However, Quincy kept running their offense through Pierce, who helped them take a nine-point lead by halftime. 

“We were actually helping each other out on defense (in the first half), and then we just went away from it when nobody wanted to step up,” Othello head coach Juan Garcia said. 

Both teams entered an offensive shootout in the third quarter as they each put up 20 points or more. The Jacks were able to outscore them by three after the Huskies got into foul trouble and Pierce put up 14 points. This allowed them to be efficient at the free-throw line, going 20 for 26. 

“We try to be aggressive,” Scott said. “Obviously, Pierce getting downhill helps. That's one way that we can get confidence, get to the free-throw line, knock a couple free throws down, and see the ball go through the hoop. We've been doing a much better job of that as a team, of getting downhill and trying to draw fouls.” 

However, Coach Bierlink pointed out that the Jacks were not immune to foul trouble themselves. To correct that, he said it comes down to working on fundamentals.  

“We'll come to practice, and we'll watch some film to see where we need to make some adjustments. It's just going to be reps and getting guys to buy in and maybe work a little harder and work a little smarter,” he said.  

In the third quarter, Pierce hit a three-pointer that put him over the mark to become the all-time scoring leader in Jacks history. The game took a brief pause to acknowledge his accomplishments. 

“It's been a joy coaching him since he was a freshman,” his coach said. “He was in the gym since the time he was a baby, and he's just always loved the game, and he's worked really hard. He deserves everything that he got. He's improved every year, and I think as a coach, that's what you want to see. He's added something to his game every year. It's been a joy coaching him and as a father, I couldn't be prouder of him.” 

Once the game resumed, the Jacks maintained a strong lead, but the Huskies were not going away in the fourth quarter. Quade Gonzalez hit a three-pointer while LJ Nunez and Valdez found their way inside the paint. Though the Huskies outscored the Jacks 21-20 in the fourth, it was not enough to make the comeback, and the Jacks came out the winners 80-71. 

Despite the loss, Garcia said he is confident his team can have a solid season going forward.  

“We just got to play defense. We're putting up points now. Last year, we weren't putting up any points. We're averaging like 40 points. So now it's just the defensive part where we got to buckle down,” he said.  

For the Jacks, the win felt good and was much needed, said Pierce. It was important to build momentum before the team hit the holiday break.  

“I think this is going to be big for us. We go into winter break with a win, which is big. We needed a win here. I feel like we can come and roll through some teams coming into next week,” he said.  

Scott said he looks forward to taking advantage of this win and riding the momentum going forward into future success.  

“We don't have a game next week, and so we'll practice Monday, hopefully build some confidence and then continue to get better. Our goal is to try to get better and be better tomorrow than we were today. So hopefully we'll be able to ride this wave,” he said.  

The Jacks return to the hardwood Dec. 29 to host Fort Vancouver at 11 a.m. 

BOX SCORE: 

OTHL: 11-18-20-21: 71 

QNCY: 17-21-23-20: 80 

    Jesus Armando Carrillo (23) shoots a free throw during their game against the Huskies. The Jacks utilized ball movement to find easy shots.
  

    Luis Farias Villanueva (34) and Syrus Peppinger (4) jam Erick Zepeda (3) while the Jacks were on offense.
  

    Juan Tovar (3) and Josh Lawson (24) box out Nash Bierlink (11) as they try to rebound the ball.
  

    Kayden Baughman (30) presses Kingston Valdez (22) as Othello prepares to pass the ball back into play.
  

    Quincy Jacks Head Coach Scott Bierlink calls out to his team during their game against Othello.