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Eastside boys dismantle Griffin
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A trip to Griffin High School ended differently for the Eastside girls' and boys' basketball teams. While the boys (6-2, 4-0 Region 4-AAAA) dismantled Griffin in a 73-61 win, the Lady Eagles (2-6, 1-3 Region 4-AAAA) were outmatched in a 54-20 loss to the Lady Bears.

The Boys

Before the ball even tipped Eastside was down 1-0 after Tylan Morton hit one of two free throws on an EHS technical foul due to a game delay prior to the game.

Keondre Perry tied it at 3 after a Griffin bucket began the contest. Eastside’s early full-court trap defense wasn't effective and the Bears jumped out to an 11-6 lead midway through the first quarter.

Perry gave Eastside a 12-11 lead after another 3 as the Eagles began to compose themselves defensively. Joshua Common extended the Eagles lead to 15-11 with an and-1 as the first frame ended.

The Eagles defense started to shine and they forced a turnover and Raytavious Jackson benefitted with a thunderous dunk over an unsuspecting Griffin defender making the lead 20-11, Eastside.

After a 6-0 run from Griffin, Jackson got a layup and the foul but missed the free throw and the Eagles led 24-17.

Griffin kept pushing and crept to within two points but the Eagles shot out to a 32-23 lead before halftime approached. A Perry fadeaway from the left elbow was the last make of the half and it have Eastside a 36-27 lead at halftime.

After both teams came out stagnant on offense to begin the third, Isaiah Miller had two back-to-back tip-ins to give the Eagles a 44-31 lead.

Cammon gave the Eagles a 56-40 lead after an open triple from the corner, but Griffin got a basket late on the other end and the Eagles led 56-42 at the end of the third.

With four of five starters sitting to begin the fourth quarter other than the Eagles’ Jesse Walden, Eastside’s defense was flying to the ball to maintain a 13-point lead with under five minutes to play.

With Josh Wilson as the lead guard with the reserves, Wilson was able to keep the lead with tenacious defense and his ability to get into the paint and draw a foul or finish. A six-point swing after two straight triples from Tyquavius Bush made it 65-48, Eastside.

The Bears clawed back and got the lead down to 10 with 1:35 to play and the Eastside starters came back in minus Jesse Walden who sat for TeAndre Bailey. Two Cammon free throws put the Eagles up 12. And Eastside would come away with a 73-61 win over Griffin.

The Eagles were led by their “big three” with 19 from Miller, 17 from Perry and 16 from Cammon.

The Girls

TyLeslie Johnson scored off the tip for Griffin to give the Lady Bears an early 2-0 lead.

After a pair of free throws, Griffin had opened with a 6-0 lead in the beginning two minutes of the contest as Eastside struggled to get good looks on offense.

Tierra Brown drove into the lane against a defender and got fouled attempting a floater that rimmed out. Brown would hit one of two free throws at the line and the Eagles trailed 6-1 midway through the first quarter.

Griffin’s defense was consistently forcing Eastside turnovers and the Lady Bears jumped out to a 12-1 lead.

Eastside played some solid defense - especially with their lack of size - in zone and in man, but the Lady Bears clogged up the paint and made it difficult for Brown to penetrate and get off her shots without a hand in her face.

The Lady Bears led 16-1 after the first with Griffin’s Andeija Puckett hitting a spin and layup with seconds left on the clock in the opening frame.

Head coach Gladys King took a timeout after a 7-0 run gave Griffin a 23-1 lead with 6:16 to play in the first half.

There were too many Lady Eagles attempting to crash the boards which meant nobody was back to cover after misses and it led to easy transition points for Griffin. Brown ended the scoreless streak with a layup under the five minute mark.

The Lady Bears went into halftime up 36-6.

DeKariah Kelly scored in the third period after another Eastside offensive drought and the Lady Eagles trailed 42-8 in the period.

Tonasia Holloman hit a three to make it 44-11. At the end of third quarter, Griffin led 46-15 on their way to a 54-20 win at home.