Can Anybody Beat Silverdale Baptist?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='1336410' first='Brett' last='Wright']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday early evening Ezell-Harding (8-3) attempted the previously impossible...defeat Silverdale Baptist (14-0). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It did not happen. Silverdale won, 66-56.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ezell-Harding's guard tandem of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1529424' first='MJ' last='Gibbs'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578677' first='Blake' last='Dean']</strong> tried to manufacture a comeback with a sharp backdoor pass to the senior Dean.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Early <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1336410' first='Brett' last='Wright'] </strong>(Trevecca Nazarene signee) missed a free throw, but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1719195' first='Kennedy' last='Okpara'] </strong>collected the miss and drew his own foul. Okpara made both shots and the undefeated Seahawks opened up an early 8-0 lead. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Silverdale led wire-to-wire.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Struggles</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles lacked size. Even when the hosting Seahawks missed their frontline was able to tuck away an offensive rebound. Specifically, Okpara, Wright, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2299349' first='Houston' last='Holland'] </strong>wrangled misses. Holland was solid on the defensive glass too, utilizing expert block-out technique consistently. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Silverdale won the first quarter, 22-10 after <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2340223' first='Elyjah' last='Richardson'] </strong>made a tricky, banked floater at the horn.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Streak</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ezell's most successful block was the first 4:46 of the second quarter, during which they stifled a balanced Seahawk attack. In fact, Silverdale did not score a single point that entire stretch!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kennedy stripped freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2299334' first='Zay' last='Bridges'] </strong>with 2:40 left in the second quarter and hit 'em with a swift three-pointer before the defense could react. Okpara played the sequence like a college guard, not the high school center he was as recently as 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ezell-Harding started to figure some things out in the second quarter. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578677' first='Blake' last='Dean']</strong> scored an and-1 jumper from the corner and also beat the halftime buzzer with a challenged 15' footer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Halftime 31-28 Silverdale Baptist.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Third</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1336410' first='Brett' last='Wright'] nailed a corner three-pointer [player_tooltip player_id='2299349' first='Houston' last='Holland'] followed it up with an and-1 in the lane. Ezell-Harding Head Coach Michael Mays tried to solve the interior defense woes by subbing [player_tooltip player_id='2299334' first='Zay' last='Bridges'] for KJ Hillhouse. It really didn't work though.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1578677' first='Blake' last='Dean'] continued his magic in desperation to stay close.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Seahawks missed a few more shots when Bridges defended the post, but the hosts continued to dominate the offensive glass. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>End 3, 46-38 Silverdale up.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Silverdale Starters</span>*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#2 Judah Richardson*<br>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='1719195' first='Kennedy' last='Okpara']*<br>#42 [player_tooltip player_id='2340223' first='Elyjah' last='Richardson']*<br>#13 [player_tooltip player_id='2299349' first='Houston' last='Holland']*<br>#12 [player_tooltip player_id='1336410' first='Brett' last='Wright']*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Ezell-Harding Starters*</span><br>#2 Toni Olayiwola*<br>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='1529424' first='MJ' last='Gibbs']* (2025)<br>#5 [player_tooltip player_id='1578677' first='Blake' last='Dean']*<br>#21 KJ Hillhouse* (2025) 6'2" C</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->