Basketball Recap: Eastmark Skates Past Desert Sunrise with Ease

Eastmark saw some tournament action on Saturday. They breezed by the Desert Sunrise Golden Hawks to the tune of 59-32. Given the Firebirds' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 84th, while the Golden Hawks are ranked 288th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Jayson Paulo was a one-man wrecking crew for Eastmark as he dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds. That's the most boards Paulo has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Dorian Lewis, who posted eight points and seven rebounds.

Eastmark smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Desert Sunrise's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ky'Jaun Mccutcheon, who had 12 points. That was a full 37.5% of Desert Sunrise's points, marking the seventh time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Ladamian Jackson, who put up ten points.

The win made it two in a row for Eastmark and bumps their season record up to 8-3. As for Desert Sunrise, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-10.

Eastmark didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 57-50 victory against Maricopa on the 28th. As for Desert Sunrise, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 70-50 defeat against Walden Grove on the 28th.