High school basketball coaches have enough nightmares, especially when the playoffs arrive, thinking about opposing defenses, wondering if players will step up or whether calls will go their way.

So when a dream comes true, its a treat.

For Liberty first-year boys basketball coach Jeff Hicks, his treat Wednesday came via a career night for senior Okenna Clement, who scored a career-high 15 points off the bench to help the host Patriots to a 74-68 win over Fresno-Sunnyside in the first round of the Central Section Division I playoffs.

Wow, O gave us the boost we needed off the bench, Hicks said. He finished tough baskets underneath against guys six inches taller than him. He was everything we needed.

Those are the efforts teams need in the playoffs, and Clement knew that going in.

Anything could happen, Clement said. I was talking to the younger guys, and I was like, this probably (could) be my final game. Play as hard as you can.

One of those younger guys was sophomore Isaiah Hill, playing in his first high school playoff game after sitting out last season as an intra-district transfer.

Hill, who scored 17 points, said he had nerves coming into the game.

There was a little bit, Hill said.

But being a basketball player, youve got to go show out in these games.

Hill did just that early on. He scored five points as Liberty built a 9-2 lead in the first three minutes before Sunnyside tied the game 13-13 late in the first.

Liberty had a 12-point lead at the half as Anieus Medrano scored two of his game-high 19 points on a layup just before the buzzer for a 38-26 advantage.

But Sunnyside (15-15) battled back.

C.J. Ayers hit two 3-pointers, and 6-foot-8 junior Amari Stroud scored seven of his team-high 17 points during an 18-3 run for the Wildcats, cutting Libertys lead to 49-48.

Thats playoff basketball, Hicks said.

Sumeer Gill hit three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc to start an 9-0 run, and Liberty led 58-50 after three quarters.

Then Clement, all 6-foot-1 of him, stepped up in the fourth quarter with rebounds over Stroud and 6-foot-6 Josh Woods (11 points, 17 rebounds) and hit a key layup to give Liberty a 69-62 lead with 1:19 to play.

Its just about being physical, Clement said.

Every practice we are all physical. I think its about us being physical and us wanting this more.

Liberty will host Clovis North on Friday in the quarterfinals after the Broncos beat Clovis 67-42 on Wednesday.

Ultimately you want to play at home, Hicks said. We shoot on these hoops every day, and this is where we want to be. We put ourselves in a situation in the season to be here.

Gill finished with 16 points for Liberty, including three 3-pointers.

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Clement's big night off bench leads Liberty - The Bakersfield Californian