Eastside Catholic girls fall to Lakeside in Metro tournament play

The Eastside Catholic Crusaders were bested by the Lakeside Lions in a home game for the 3A Metro tournament Wednesday evening with a 50-37 loss.

The Crusaders came to play and their aggressive start, opening with an early steal from Eliyah Givens, did not disappoint. A seven-point run, ending with a three pointer from Ella Procel, bolstered their momentum. Another three points from Isabella Sullivan broke a tie to end the quarter with Eastside Catholic ahead.

The Lions came roaring in the second quarter. A series of quick breaks found the Crusaders falling behind despite multiple steals and blocks from Linda Nduka. By halftime, Lakeside held a comfortable 10-point lead, 34-24.

Halftime was the last opportunity for Eastside Catholic to regroup and close the gap. It appeared they were up to the task, as Sullivan dropped a pair of threes and added a blocked shot on defense. But in the end, it was not enough. The Lions continued their rampage, leaving no room for the Crusaders to gain. With several buckets from Lakeside’s Stella Simchuk and Mia Broom, the Crusaders just could not reduce the deficit. Lakeside won 50-37.

The Crusaders’ Sullivan finished with two steals, two blocks and four three-pointers. Nduka contributed one steal and one block. Overall, Eastside Catholic led defensively with three blocks, compared with two for the Lions. Both teams tied in assists with 12 each.

Eastside Catholic (13-6) will play Franklin (6-8) in an away game as part of the 3A District tournament Saturday, Feb. 12 at 7:45 p.m.