The North Beach Hyaks and the Elma Eagles will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Elma took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on North Beach, who comes in off a win.
Having struggled with six losses in a row dating back to last season, North Beach turned things around against Northwest Christian on Friday. They secured a 45-39 W over the Wolverines. The Hyaks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
JJ Eastman
| 12/13/24 vs Northwest Christian | 25 |
| 12/10/24 @ Willapa Valley | 9 |
| 12/05/24 @ Oakville | 8 |
| 12/02/24 @ Pe Ell | 22 |
North Beach found their leader in sophomore JJ Eastman, who shot 7-for-11 from downtown and dropped a double-double on 25 points and 14 boards. With that strong performance, Eastman is now averaging an impressive 16 points per game. Another player making a difference was Sawyer Reither, who posted five points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals.
North Beach smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Elma's undefeated season came to an end after three games on Friday. They lost to Forks at home by a 67-48 margin. The loss was the Eagles' first of the season.
North Beach will need focus on slowing down Isaac McGaffey, one of several Elma players who made an impact when they last played. He dropped a double-double on ten points and 13 boards. The dominant performance also gave McGaffey a new career-high in blocks (four). Another player making a difference was Theo Flores, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 12 points.
North Beach's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Elma, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's game: North Beach has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.7% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Elma, though, as they've only made 25% of their three-pointers this season. Given North Beach's sizable advantage in that area, Elma will need to find a way to close that gap.
North Beach was taken down by Elma 65-24 when the teams last played back in November of 2022. Will North Beach have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
