Trio of star players lead Eastside Catholic to crushing win over Ballard
The Eastside Catholic boys basketball team crushed the Ballard Beavers 92-45 on Sunday afternoon, advancing to district quarterfinals.
The standout players of the afternoon were the well-known trio of Crusaders—sophomores Tytan McNeal and Steven Sun, and senior Yabi Aklog, who scored 20, 17, and 18 points respectively.
“Steven [Sun] is our best perimeter player and a great shooter, Yabi [Aklog] controls the paint, and Tytan [McNeal] is our best defender and does a little of everything,” said head coach Brent Merritt.
Although trailing five points directly after tipoff, the Crusaders recovered quickly, with the trio scoring 16 out of 26 points in the first quarter.
“We played well after a slow start. We didn’t start out paying attention to details, but we corrected our mistake and finished strong,” said Merritt.
None of the three players played in the last quarter, as Eastside Catholic was already ahead by 39 points at the end of the third quarter.
McNeal often saw space behind Ballard’s 2-3 defensive formation, cutting in for a dunk from the side, sometimes with the aid of Aklog. They used their larger frames to their advantage, pushing defenders to the side with their bodies.
“McNeal is our best defender who also scores at all three levels of the floor for us, and Yabi has been strong inside all year,” said Merritt.
Aklog is mostly used as a center due to his height and his ability to dunk without effort. The Crusaders’ effectiveness on the counterattack also enhances Aklog’s ability as a target man, receiving the ball over opponents’ heads, and attempting a simple layup.
“Steven Sun has been a consistent threat from the perimeter,” said Merritt.
Sun has a true eye for the basket from outside the three point line. As he grew into the game, Aklog and McNeal’s movements inside the paint would allow space for Sun to shoot. He registered four triples that afternoon.
Sun also dictated the game while playing point guard, straying from his usual position as shooting guard. He often found passes to McNeal outside the key at left court and discovered plays to Aklog while he was operating as a center.
His linkup with McNeal throughout recent games also led to a surplus of points. In the third quarter, Sun would frequently hang up the ball near the rim, setting up his teammate as he made a run into open space. In one of those plays, Sun gave a brilliant assist to Aklog.
On the defensive side, Aklog guarded his own half with intensity, blocking drives and shots while also claiming rebounds.
McNeal proved to be a persistent defender. When he was covering Ballard’s 6-foot-10-inch Gavin Klassen-Matuska, McNeal put pressure on his opponent’s shots, which led to missed attempts from outside the paint. His shadow-marking in the middle of the court forced rushed passes from the opposition, allowing for turnovers that helped Eastside Catholic blow the game wide open.
Eastside Catholic will play Liberty at Bellevue College on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the district competition.
