Before the holiday break, Eastside basketball hosted a Region 4-AAAA matchup as they hosted the Mt. Zion Bulldogs. The story for both games was certainly identical as it included two lopsided finishes. With the Lady Bulldogs dominating the Lady Eagles 59-19 and the Eastside boys flying past Mt. Zion 83-49 on Tuesday evening.
The girls
Starting with the ladies, Mt. Zion took control of the game from the opening tip starting the game on an 8-2 run. Eastside did respond with some aggressive moves to the basket trimming the lead to 12-11 in the middle of the first quarter. The Lady Eagles really showed some toughness throughout the first half as they tried to keep the deficit manageable. But, the Lady Bulldogs took their play up a notch and eventually took control of all aspects of the game.
Going into the second half with a 10-point lead, Mt. Zion got after it on both ends of the floor by forcing Eastside into countless turnovers and getting out in transition. Lady Bulldog seniors Tyeisha Juhan and Fredeja Ransom were huge beneficiaries of the fast pace as Juhan finished the game with 18 points and Ransom added 12. Mt. Zion put the game to rest in the third quarter as they outscored Eastside 20-0.
The Lady Eagles could not handle the transition game of Mt. Zion giving up numerous layups, and the pressure of the Lady Bulldogs’ defense forced Eastside into only having two points the entire second half.
“I don’t think we have students of the game right now,” Lady Eagles head coach Gladys King said after the loss.
The boys
As far as the guys, it was exact same story except this time in favor for Eastside.
The Eagles got into a rhythm early as they came out on a 10-0 run. Forward Raytavius Jackson got the crowd into the game on a powerful dunk in the middle of the first quarter and Eastside rode that wave to finish with a 20-point lead at halftime.
During the second half, the Eagles’ bench were able to keep up the same intensity as the starters and added to the lead.
Eastside’s outside shooting on top of their defensive pressure was the story of the game. Junior Joshua Cammon had the hot hand as he knocked down seven three-pointers finishing the game with 26 points. Isaiah Miller attacked the basket aggressively adding 11 points but also kicked the ball out to open shooters. Keiondre Perry played a key role in the victory with 10 points. Mt. Zion just weren’t able to effectively defend Eastside which exerted a lot of energy thus slowing down their offense.
“They (Cammon, Miller, Perry) been with each other since middle school.” Brent Wren, Eastside head coach, said. “They play off each other.”
