Eastside 60, Dymally 44: Key Takeaways

<p>A team that did not fill out the stands during regular season play has captured the attention of many. The Eastside Lions have been a gritty team all season long, playing the opposing team tough on both ends of the floor. The Lions have been a really hard team to defeat at home and tonight they displayed that they will continue to defend the den any chance they get.</p> <p>That makes it two years in a row that a team from the Antelope Valley has competed in the state playoffs and this year, it is the Lions turn to leave a legacy.</p> <p>The resiliency that the Lions have continued to demonstrate, especially in the playoffs, has been paying off. After losing in the fourth round of the CIF South Sections, the #1 seed Lions, does not plan on going down without a fight, proving that tonight after both teams started the game off slow. Both teams, who displayed similar play styles, pushed the ball all game. Eastside and Dymally love to play fast.</p> <p>"We started off sloppy in the beginning and we got complacent a little but we continued to battle the entire game and not give up. We wanted to play hard defensively and capitalize on their mistakes", said head coach Cisco Munoz. "We just need to start the game off strong to continue our run in the playoffs. Communicating, playing better defensively and making sure everyone gets involved will help our chances a lot". </p> <p><strong>Eastside outrebounded Dymally </strong></p> <p>If you've seen the Lions play in the past, you know they love to push the ball up the court. For Eastside, the rebounding aspect of tonight's game carried on to the offensive end. Although they struggle to capitalize on easy buckets, the Lions continued to crash the glass, pushing them to outlast the Challengers. Everyone on the Lions contributed to snatching rebounds both on the offensive and defensive end, which will be astronomical for them as they continue there to run to the state championship. </p> <p><strong>Timothy Schnyder needs to stay hot </strong></p> <p>The crafty guard did not let his foot off the gas pedal all game. The guard was easily the top performer on the court today, locking up the opposing defenders, making plays offensively and hitting multiple big shots when the Lions needed it. The senior guard finished the game with 24 points. The guard was locked in all-day. "I feel like we played great towards the end and we did what we needed to do to finish strong. I feel like I played a great game. I got my teammates involved and I shot the ball really well", said Schnyder. The playmaker for the Lions has been in the gym hour before the game to prepare, getting up a lot of shots and staying mentally focus and it paid off with a big home victory. </p> <p><strong>Tajon Jacobs changed his game plan for Dymally </strong></p> <p>The big man for the Challengers has been instrumental all season. This is a player who can be a big threat for the opposing team. Eastside had a game plan to stop Jacobs from beating them in the paint. Little did they know that the left-handed big man can scorch the 3-ball. Jacobs ended the game with 14 points, hitting four big 3-points for Dymally as they tried to make a comeback. </p> <p><strong>Lions defensive pressure can be too much for the opposing team </strong></p> <p>Eastside loves to pick up full court and contest any shot that the opposing team takes. The Lions pressured the ball the entire game, causing multiple turnovers and ball shot selection from Dymally. The Lions have a good amount of players who demonstrated the versatility and if they continue to use that to there advantage in a positive manner, it will be a long night for the opposing opponent. Eastside has depended a lot on the applied pressure all season and it has led them to a great playoff run. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The #1 Eastside Lions play again on Thursday, March 5th at 7 PM, against a scrappy Banning Broncos squad who is the #9 seed. </p>