Boys hoops: Eastside Catholic gets pummeled by Rainier Beach
The Eastside Catholic boys basketball team lost 92-69 against the top-ranked team in the Metro League, Rainier Beach Vikings, on Friday in their last regular season game. The Crusaders were leading during halftime, but were left chasing in the second half.
“We fell apart in the second half. We turned the ball over too much and put [Rainier] Beach on the free throw line too much,” Eastside Catholic head coach Brent Merritt said.
Eastside Catholic started the game off by scoring first as Tytan McNeal’s three-pointer was sunk. The Vikings responded quickly, with Tyran Stokes assisting Achilles Reyna for a layup. Eastside Catholic point guard Neiko Jones got past Stokes often in their matchup on the top of the key, even though he was a foot shorter than his defender. The momentum switched from being in favor of the Crusaders to the Vikings, but Eastside Catholic kept it close as Dash Lamebull-Ingram’s attacks on the basket were able to get players in good areas for layups. Crusader Yabi Aklog’s shot from inside the key and his pair of free throws was able to end the quarter at 20-16, Rainier Beach.
The Crusaders started the second quarter off through Anthony Williams’ fast break and dunk, winning possession from his own paint. The Vikings put immense pressure on the Eastside Catholic offense, forcing turnovers and making drives difficult. Aklog’s free throw pulled the momentum back to the Crusaders with three minutes left in the quarter. Steven Sun’s three-pointer decreased the deficit to four points. His pair of free-throws a minute later equalized the game for Eastside Catholic. Rainier Beach took the lead back, but was met with Aklog’s layup, tying the game once more. McNeal’s three-pointer from left court gave the Crusaders their first lead of the game. Another high layup from McNeal ended the quarter 44-38, Eastside Catholic.
Frustration built at the start of the third quarter for Rainier Beach. They fouled and conceded a free throw, which McNeal converted for the Crusaders. The momentum shifted once again, as the Vikings’ Stokes went on a fast break and dunked the ball, reducing the deficit to four points. The Vikings’ smart passing within the key allowed them to exploit space made by the Crusader defense. Rainier Beach tied the game as Stokes took advantage of an opposition mistake in the middle of the court, making a layup. Eastside Catholic began to falter with four minutes on the clock. A drive and layup made by Knowledge Wright allowed Rainier Beach to gain the lead. Sloppy passing and poor shots by the Crusaders allowed the Vikings to accelerate past them, being down 16 points at the end of the quarter. The third quarter ended 71-55, Rainier Beach.
KJ Hightower’s layup from a counterattack started the last quarter off for Rainier Beach, further establishing their dominance. The Crusaders employed a defense specifically focused on the center of the key, but the Vikings employed tough pressure on the ball handler, forcing no feasible passing lanes. Many fouls were given in this quarter, disrupting the flow of the game. Eastside Catholic was far less clinical, only managing points from occasional free throws. Although being up by a wide margin, Rainier Beach barely managed any points in the last three minutes, only scoring at the end through Hightower, ending the game 94-67, Rainier Beach.
Eastside Catholic ended the regular season at sixth in the Metro League table, with an overall record of 12-5.
“We had a lot of ups and downs, we had a lot of injuries, [a lot] of problems with our team, but we keep fighting, we keep going, staying together, it’s going good,” said Crusader Dylan Renwick, summarizing the season for Eastside Catholic.
Eastside Catholic will play at home against Garfield on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. for their next playoff game.
