The same team that beat the brakes off Eastside (76-49) almost three weeks ago felt the pressure in Tuesday night’s contest with the Eagles pushing Eagle’s Landing to the brink b before the Golden Eagles would overcome a halftime to deficit to beat Eastside 85-77.
After Eagle’s Landing took a 4-0 lead, Keondre Perry answered with a layup as a defender was hanging on his hip.
The Eagles tied the game and Raytavious Jackson made a breakaway steal and pounded home a two-handed dunk to give the Eagles a 6-4 lead. Eastside came out playing hard-nosed man-to-man defense and it worked to their benefit as Eagle’s Landing players were met with contention when attacking the rim.
Jackson’s six points helped lift the Eagles to a 12-8 lead with 2:10 to play in the first. Eastside’s defense carried it to a 14-8 lead after the first quarter.
The Golden Eagles opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, but Isaiah Miller answered with an and-one. The Golden Eagles’ Jordan Lewis banked in another trey to get Eagle’s Landing within three. After an Eagle’s Landing score, another trey from Lewis gave Eagle’s Landing a 19-17 lead before Miller answered with a bucket to tie the game at 19.
The Eagles were able to recapture the lead and extended it to six with a three from the corner by TeAndre Bailey making it 29-23 with under two minutes to play in the first half. It was a 32-28 lead for Eastside at the half. Miller led the Eagles with 12 first half points and Jackson trailed him with eight.
With Eagle’s Landing within two points, Miller found Cammon in the corner for three to push the lead back to five before a swipe and score by Lewis got Eagle’s Landing within one possession at 35-32, Eastside.
Cammon dropped another trey, but picked up his fourth foul as Eastside led 38-32. Coach Brent Wren elected not to take Cammon out with four fouls up six in the third. The Golden Eagles quickly reeled off a 5-0 run with a three and a steal/score.
Perry got to the free throw line on the next possession and hit 1-2, Eastside led 39-37. After the Eagles took a 41-39 lead, the Golden Eagles made a steal, attacked the basket in a two-on-one and Malek Green got the layup and the foul, but airballed the free throw.
Eagle’s Landing took a 45-43 lead, but Perry drained two free throws to tie the game following a steal by Miller. Eastside started to turn the ball over and the Golden Eagles went on a 8-0 run to take a 53-45 lead. Miller ended the run with a three. The Golden Eagles’ lead bloomed back to eight, but Eastside ended the quarter on a 4-0 run with baskets from Miller and Cammon. Eagle’s Landing was up 56-52 entering the fourth.
Miller made it 58-55, Eagle’s Landing with a floater in the lane. The Golden Eagles responded, getting the lead to 63-55 before Miller hit two free throws to get Eastside within six. With every Eastside run, Eagle’s Landing responded. The Golden Eagles’ lead was at 10 with 4:27 to play.
Wren called a timeout with Eastside down 68-60 after Miller went coast-to-coast for a layup. Out of the timeout, the Eagles’ full-court press led to a quick steal and two-handed flush by Miller to get Eastside within six, but Lewis was able to get to the foul line and get the lead back to eight.
After another score by Miller, Eagle’s Landing answered and stole the ball for the easy score to make it 75-64, Eagle’s Landing. Jackson knocked down two free throws and got the Eagles within nine points with 2:52 to play following an Eastside timeout.
Lewis attacked the rim and drew a foul on Jackson, who fouled out on the play. He would hit one of two free throws before the Eagles turned it over on the offensive end.
Jonah Young, in for Jackson, hit a hook shot with the Eagles down seven and Wren called a timeout. After an Eagle’s Landing score the Eagles made a run and got within six with Miller at the line to trim the lead to four and one minute to play. Looking fatigued with sweat dripping from his uniform like a running faucet, Miller missed both free throws basically ending Eastside’s chances at a comeback.
