ATHENS, Ga. – The two basketball squads for the Eastside Eagles travelled to Cedar Shoals for the second round of the region 8-AAAA tournament.
While both teams looked to claim a spot in the region championship, only the boys were able to do so.
Eastside 65, Walnut Grove 37
In what has been a stellar season, the Eastside Eagles moved on to the region 8-AAAA championship game after defeating Walnut Grove 65-37 on Thursday night.
Two days prior, the Eagles defeated Madison County 75-37 in the first round of the region tournament. This marked the highest scoring performance that Eastside has produced all season.
It was widely believed that the third seeded Eastside would face off in a rubber match against No. 2 seeded Cedar Shoals. But the No. 7 seed Walnut Grove had other plans, upsetting the Jaguars and advancing to the second round in a 64-57 overtime thriller.
The Eagles entered Thursday’s contest with a 2-0 advantage over Walnut Grove on the year. The advantage ultimately rang true, as the Eagles held a commanding lead throughout much of the contest.
By the time the game entered the fourth quarter, the Eagles’ lead spanned 20 points over the Warriors, sending the game out of reach.
With the victory, the Eagles are set for a matchup against the North Oconee Titans, who have long had a stronghold in 4A basketball. This season, the Eagles have gone 0-2 against the Titans, albeit in close fashion.
Eastside 31, North Oconee 83
While the Eastside boys will look to take down the Titans, the Lady Eagles had their chance on Thursday night to take down the Lady Titans in the second round of the region 8-AAAA tournament.
The fourth-seeded Lady Eagles defeated the fifth-seeded East Forsyth Broncos to advance to the second round of the region tournament. The victory also secured a spot in the state tournament under first-year head coach Rod Baker.
After going 0-2 in decisive fashion in regular season play against North Oconee, the Lady Eagles faced an uphill battle to pull off a shocking upset.
But unfortunately for Eastside, North Oconee brought its absolute best.
By the end of the first half, the Lady Titans had a 54-11 lead over the Lady Eagles, effectively shutting out any chances for a comeback.
The Lady Eagles fared much better in the second half, scoring 20 points. But the Lady Titans continued its scoring onslaught, putting up 83 points against the Lady Eagles for the second time this year.
Eastside is now set for a matchup against No. 3 seeded Cedar Shoals in the third-place consolation game. This season, the Lady Jaguars have had the Lady Eagles’ number in two contested matchups.
