On Tuesday night, Manual’s JV boys’ basketball team played an intense matchup against the Eastern Eagles, winning with a tight score of 59-52.
First Half:
The game began with Manual securing the tip-off. Will Thompson (#30, 10) opened the game with a lay up, but Eastern quickly responded, taking an early lead, 3-2.
Despite several fouls, Manual struggled to capitalize early, and both teams played aggressively.
With the ball primarily on Manual’s end, free throws from Thompson brought the score to 5-4, with Eastern leading. The Eagles kept the pressure up, but Manual answered back, and by the end of the first quarter, Manual was leading 19-14, with great teamwork highlighted by the Crimsons’ Jesiah Flippins (#5, 9) and Malachi Towns (#2, 10).
Eastern came out strong in the second quarter, closing the gap to 19-16, but Manual responded, extending their lead to 21-16. Eastern stayed close, tying the game at 24-24 before a back-and-forth battle ensued.
However, Manual edged ahead 28-27 before halftime, with both teams showcasing strong offense and defense.
Second Half:
To start the third quarter, Thompson made a big impact, rejuvenating Manual’s momentum by scoring multiple times and pushing the Crimsons’ lead to 35-28. However, Eastern fought back, closing the gap to 35-33 and eventually tying the game at 37-37.
Eastern briefly took the lead, with the score being 43-37, but the Crimsons’ Jeremiah Stephens (#20, 10) stepped up with key baskets and free throws, helping Manual narrow the deficit to two points, with Eastern leading Manual 47-45.
In the fourth quarter, Manual showed much resilience. Flippins tied the game at 47-47, and with great teamwork, Manual surged ahead. Thompson played a pivotal role, scoring multiple times, with Towns adding crucial free throws to push Manual’s lead to 56-47.
Eastern made a late push, narrowing the gap to 56-52, but Manual held on. Free throws from Thompsons and Towns sealed the deal, and Manual finished strong with a 59-52 victory.
“Overall, we did well [and] we played well enough to get the win. We got to clean some stuff up; obviously it was a little hard coming off break but overall we did well…,” head coach Dion Flippins said.
