Boys hoops: Eastside Catholic falters against O’Dea
The Eastside Catholic Crusaders boys basketball team suffered a 64-57 loss to the O’Dea Fighting Irish Friday.
The first quarter was highlighted by strong defense and hustle from both teams. The scoring was back and forth, as mid-range shots from O’Dea allowed them to get off to an early 9-4 lead. However, Eastside Catholic kept the game tight with sophomore Tytan McNeal scoring a 3-pointer. Eastside Catholic kept their momentum going as they went on a 7-3 run to end the quarter, giving them a 18-14 lead.
The aggressive defense from both sides carried over into the second quarter as they each fought for rebounds and forced multiple turnovers. The Fighting Irish regained their momentum as they were able to cut the Crusaders’ lead through a 3-pointer from Niko Moksivong and two buckets. Nevertheless, McNeal kept Eastside Catholic in the game by scoring from all parts of the court, and with the help of Steven Sun with two 3-point buckets, Eastside Catholic was able to maintain a 29-27 lead heading into halftime.
After the break, both squads returned aiming to break the close game open. O’Dea quickly got their lead with constant ball movement, forcing gaps in the Crusaders’ defense and opening the quarter on a 5–0 run. Eastside Catholic answered with two free throws from center Yabi Aklog, and along with Sun, took over the scoring to tie the game at 45-45 with 38 seconds left. Despite these efforts, a buzzer beating three from O’Dea gave the Fighting Irish a 48–45 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
O’Dea kickstarted the scoring in the fourth quarter with guard Brian Webster hitting a three to extend the lead to six points. The Crusaders responded but it was not enough against the aggressive playing of O’Dea. Eastside Catholic’s exhaustion was starting to show. O’Dea began to pull away with three free throws and a fastbreak to make it 56-48. They kept riding the momentum as Peyton Brooks drilled another three, giving them an 11-point lead with 2:50 left. The Crusaders tried a last-ditch effort to come back but were only able to score six points from buckets by Aklog and Sun. O’Dea iced the game with a clutch layup from senior guard Levi Orbino, handing Eastside Catholic the loss.
