Basketball Recap: Eastside Comes Up Short

Eastside was the 76-52 winner over Hillcrest when they last played one another back in December of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Eastside Eagles took a 55-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hillcrest Rams. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite the loss, Eastside saw an underclassman step up: freshman Roman Ruggiero went 6 of 10 on his way to 21 points. Those 21 points set a new season-high mark for Ruggiero. The team also got some help courtesy of Thomas Rouse, who posted 13 points.

Even though they lost, Eastside smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Eastside's defeat dropped their record down to 2-8. As for Hillcrest, the win got them back to even at 5-5.

Eastside will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Boiling Springs at 7:30 p.m. on January 7, 2025. As for Hillcrest, they will be taking part in a tournament against Hendersonville at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.