Class AAAA No. 5 Eastside dropped a 63-61 heartbreaker to Salem (12-4, 3-2) Tuesday in a Region 4-AAAA matchup. Eastside’s Keiodre Perry missed two potentially game tying free throws with 4.6 seconds left in the game. He also missed a third free throw down the stretch that Eastside coach Brent Wren said undoubtedly affected the game’s outcome.
“We got everything we wanted at the end there,” Wren said. “We’re just not closing out the game. We’re young, and we know that. We’re inexperienced, but we know we have talent. But sometimes talent can’t get it done for you.
It was the Eagles’ first region loss of the season, as Eastside fell to 10-5 overall and 4-1 in the region with the loss. But Wren’s bunch won’t have much time to stew about the loss as Eastside and Newton boys tip off Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Wren stressed to his team that it needed to be ready for the next challenge.
“I just told them to go home and shake it off,” he said. “Sometimes when you take a loss, you’ve gotta wait a couple of days before you play again. We don’t have that wait this time.”
Dez Dyer led Eastside with a game-high 26 points, while Perry helped with 23. Salem's Tehjuan Powell led Salem with 25 points, while Kendric Harris scored 11 and Jordan Simons contributed 10.
Newton defeated Eastside 74-51 in the two teams’ hotly anticipated first game back on December 2.
Eastside has lost three of its last four games by a combined nine points.
Newton stays perfect at Shiloh
The top-ranked Newton boys basketball team remained unbeaten in its first action since December 30, by going on the road to defeat Region 8-AAAAAAA foe Shiloh 63-54 Tuesday night.
J.D. Notae paced the Rams with 21 points, while Darvin Jones chipped in with 16 points, as five Rams scored in double figures.
Shiloh shot out to a 16-9 lead in the first quarter, and actually led 29-27 at the break. Newton benefited from a 20-point third quarter while clamping down on defense to take an eight point lead into the final stanza.
Newton improved to 14-0 and 3-0 in region play ahead of its part-two showdown with cross-town rival Eastside.
