Five Takeaways: Eastside v. Lyman

The Eastside Rams are 6-0 and beating teams by an average of 30.6 points per game. Once this team gets on a run, it’s virtually over. Three Eastside players hit double-digits in scoring: juniors Anthony Richardson and Korin Bradley notched 18 and 16, respectively. Senior Emontae Shannon earned 12 of his own. Lyman couldn’t keep up after the first quarter on Saturday night. Here are the five takeaways from the matchup!

1. Once Eastside Gets Rolling, Look Out.

The Longwood-Lyman Greyhounds played the Rams the best way a team could in the first quarter. They took a 8-6 lead to the huddle after the buzzer sounded, and led 10-6 early in the second period. Then, the Rams flipped the switch. Eastside went on a 20-0 run in the second quarter, taking a 26-10 lead into the half in-which the Rams never looked back. You have to keep your foot on their necks to put this team, away. Any let up, and they’ll make you pay.

2. Anthony Richardson’s Long-Ball Is True.

Last time I wrote about Eastside was lest than a week ago when they played St. Francis. Richardson’s three was falling, but it had yet to be proven consistent. Well in this game vs. Lyman, if you left him in the corner, he was knocking that down. He hit two on the night, and finished with 18 points. Richardson is proving himself to be trustworthy from deep.

3. Lyman’s Defense Has Major Bright Spots, Despite Loss.

Though they are just 1-5, Lyman’s first quarter defense looked like that of an undefeated team vs. Eastside. The Greyhounds were very aggressive, and sprinted back with quickness during the Rams’ transition offense attempts. They’re not very big, but they have some length that can disrupt, if you let it. Hopefully they can look at the bright spots within that first quarter and build off of it.

4. Emontae Shannon: Emerging Presence In The Paint.

The senior F earned 12 points in the game, eight of them coming from inside the paint. Shannon really asserted himself while driving through the lane, took a lot of contact, but finished strong each and every time. A two-way punch with him and Richardson in the post would make it extremely tough for defenders to stop points inside the paint. Excited to see if Shannon can keep up the production.

5. Eastside COULD Go Undefeated In Regular Season, Barring A Couple Tests.

Looking at the rest of their schedule, the EVERY game looks winnable if the Rams can continue to play at this level. To me, the only matchups that stick out are Hawthorne, P.K. Yonge, and Gainesville (mostly because it’s neutral site). Even then, all three of these teams are going to have to shoot the ball extremely well to have a chance. Look out for Eastside to legitimately take a shot at this.