Second Round Preview: Two Teams From The AV Stay Alive In Playoffs
The playoffs are known to bring the best out of every team and so far, it’s been a battle. With Quartz Hill and Highland being eliminated during the first round of the playoffs, that leaves just two teams who survived…
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Continue ReadingThe playoffs are known to bring the best out of every team and so far, it’s been a battle. With Quartz Hill and Highland being eliminated during the first round of the playoffs, that leaves just two teams who survived Wednesday’s contest. Lancaster and Eastside both came out with big victories after having a much-improved season. Both the Eagles and Lions will be facing much tougher opponents during the second, playing at the opposing team’s home court, as they look to grind out another big victory. Lancaster and Eastside play with a lot of passion and heart, hoping they run away with a road win in a hostile environment.
Lancaster (#2 in Golden League) @ Loma Linda Academy (#2 in Ambassador League)
After winning their first playoff game in the past two years, the Eagles look to extend their winning streak to six games as they head to face the challenging Roadrunners of Loma Linda. Lancaster head coach, Sidney Melvin, is expecting another big game from senior captain Jordan Roach and shooting guard Avion Robinson. Roach carried the Eagles to a home victory with a team game-high 23 points vs Katella and will continue to be aggressive offensively as he and the Eagles look for an upset win over Loma Linda.
After learning from the mistakes, they made against Katella, the Eagles hope to tune the little details before Friday’s matchup. It will be interesting to watch as the defensive pressure of Lancaster has been shutting down the opposing team while Loma Linda has been doing the same, holding Riverside Prep to only 35 points the whole during Wednesday’s victory.
This is a game to watch as the Roadrunners have been seeing a lot of success this season and in the past, making it to the playoffs quite often. For Loma Linda, they hold an impressive 11-2 record at home and with a two-game win streak while the gritty Eagles have been playing great on the opposing team’s home court with a 6-2 record. The experienced Roadrunners made it as far as the third-round last season and hope to go even further. As for Lancaster, they have not made it past the second round of the CIF playoffs in quite a while, making things even more anticipated game.
Eastside (#3 in Golden League) @ South El Monte (#1 in Mission Valley League)
Already with a big first-round playoff upset victory on the road against Cate, Eastside looks to bring the same aggression as they head to South El Monte. The Lions who have only made it as far as the second round of the CIF playoffs during the 2016-2017 season have found their groove this year, playing with a ton of confidence so far. Eastside is familiar with being the underdog and does not look to back down without a fight. Although they do not have much experience in the playoffs, the discipline performances that Eastside has displayed will be intriguing to watch as they go head to head against a veteran group of South El Monte.
The savvy Lions of Eastside have been prepared to play tougher opponents as they’ve battled through the despotic Golden League schedule. Through all the ups and downs during the regular season, the Lions have grown together and proven they can play at a high level. With a twelve-game win streak on the line, six of those wins being at home, the Eagles look to defend home court against the determined Lions. The Lions have seen more success on the road rather than at home and look to snap the winning streak of the Eagles. Eastside has been playing physical on both ends of the court and the high motored Lions look to stop junior big man Joshua Medina, junior guard Josue Ramirez, and the rest of the Eagles. The intensity that both teams have been playing at will make this a riveting second-round matchup.