Eastside Catholic vs. Wilson: Takeaways

<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Wilson came into this tournament having had an impressive and unexpectedly successful season this year, while eastside came in as a true title contender with all-around talent. With Wilson hungry for an upset and eastside eager to prove that they belong at the top, this quarterfinal matchup did not disappoint. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Wilson started off the game hot, moving the game at their pace and getting buckets off of multiple turnovers created by senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="840322" first="Damani" last="Green"] and Malik Howard. Wilson extended their lead to as much as eight and put up 25 points in the first quarter alone. Their scoring attack was led by Malik Howard, who was as reliable as can be from 3. Howard showed off his trademark competitive intensity all game long, a trait that should carry Howard on to the next level as he is able to will any team forward. Wilson's 6'6 Junior forward Jackson Dorsey got involved early with a transition dunk and 6 points off of offensive boards. Wilson's characteristic grittiness had them leading for the majority of the first half and were prepared for an upset. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Despite this, Eastside Catholic returned to the team they are known to be by the second half. Star guard [player_tooltip player_id="611186" first="Nolan" last="Hickman"] turned up the intensity in transition, and he along with guard [player_tooltip player_id="843715" first="Shane" last="Nowell"] locked down the other end of the floor on defense. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="711293" first="Isaac" last="Ticeson"] contributed to the scoring onslaught as well, with a dunk and 8 points down low. Eastside truly began to pull away when Junior forward J.T. Tuimoloau took over, hitting 3 threes and bullying anyone in the paint. Tuimoloau finished with 25 points and was integral in eastsides 76-54 win. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/01/DSC04148-909-Edited.jpg"></a></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Although their run at a title came to an end, Wilson's season and playoff run had a lot to say about their players. They were able to win with true Talents like [player_tooltip player_id="840322" first="Damani" last="Green"] and Jackson Dorsey and were able to continue to compete with the grit and intensity of Malik Howard and [player_tooltip player_id="840355" first="Emani" last="Mitchell"]. On the other side, Eastside's slow start allowed for their top talents to show off their ability in the comeback, and displayed their versatility as stars Hickman and Nowell were able to take a management role as Tuimoloau took control.</span></p>