The Eastside Eagles boys varsity basketball team hosted North Oconee Saturday in non-region action, routing the Titans 62-43 while never trailing in the game.
The win extends the Eagles' win streak to 12 games; the streak began with a 66-47 victory over the Titans Dec. 14.
Since then, the Eagles have had little trouble with their opponents at home or on the road, moving their record to 17-2 overall and 5-0 in region play. The loss drops the Titans to 6-14 overall.
Eastside coach Gregory Freeman said the Eagles' defense was key in the win over North Oconee, as Eastside held its 10th opponent to 50 or fewer points during the streak.
"We hang our hats again on how we defend," Freeman said.
The Eagles began the game on a 5-0 run, with all five points coming from junior Timothy Haynes.
North Oconee cut the lead to two on a 3-pointer, but the Eagles and Daniel Oduah went on a 6-0 run, extending Eastside's lead to 13-5.
The Eagles ended the first quarter with a 16-8 lead.
It took nearly three minutes for either team to make a basket in the second period, but the Eagles broke the ice on a bucket by Justin Adams. His basket was followed by a 3-pointer from Anthony Henderson and a pair of free throws by Treyvon Francis, giving the Eagles a 15-point lead.
North Oconee then scored back-to-back layups, but the Eagles' resolve remained intact, and they took a 29-17 lead into halftime.
The Eagles began the second half on an 11-0 run. Haynes made a pair of baskets during the stretch, including a thunderous dunk. Henderson made a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 40-17 lead, pushing Eastside's advantage to 23.
The remainder of the quarter saw the teams exchanging baskets, but the Eagles went into the fourth quarter with a 51-29 lead.
The Titans began the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, with four of the points coming from layups. The Eagles responded with a 4-0 run on a shot from Oduah and a layup from Henderson.
North Oconee answered with a 3-pointer, but Oduah responded with a thunderous two-handed dunk for the Eagles.
The Titans hit another shot from beyond the arc, but the Eagles went on a 5-0 run on free throws by Oduah and Francis. Oduah finished off the short spurt after catching a pass from Jamal Hardge and threw down another dunk, finishing over his defender.
“We did what we had to do on defense and I did what I had to do on offense," Oduah said. "I got a good outlet pass and the rest happened."
Freeman said the Eagles' win streak has resulted from years of rebuilding and determination.
“This is the culmination of 2-3 years of hard work," Freeman said. "This is the best record in the history of Eastside basketball, but we’re not done. We take it one game at a time, and we don’t overlook anybody.”
