In a game featuring two youthful rosters the Eastside Catholic Crusaders girls basketball team came through in the clutch against the Franklin Quakers.
Franklin cut Eastside Catholic’s lead to five points twice and to three points once in the fourth quarter, but Eastside Catholic prevailed earning a 49-41 victory on Jan. 29 in Sammamish. The Crusaders improved their overall record to 5-8 with the win.
With the Crusaders leading by a paltry three points with 3:47 left in regulation, sophomore guard Katherine Blanton stole a pass and cruised in for an easy lay-up extending the Crusaders lead to 37-32. On Eastside Catholic’s ensuing offensive possession Jillian Martin knocked down a three-pointer, giving the Crusaders a 40-32 lead with 3:36 left in the game.
The Quakers cut the Crusaders lead to five points with 1:01 left on the clock but Eastside Catholic hit four free throws in the final 49 seconds to clinch the win. Eastside Catholic head coach Amber Johnson was thrilled with her team’s performance against a hard charging Franklin squad in the second half.
“The key was communication, staying together and making sure we executed every single play. We work so hard on defense to create turnovers. The things we focused on in practice, we executed that tonight. I’m really proud of them,” Johnson said.
Eastside Catholic freshman forward Mae Bryant scored a team-high 14 points in the victory. The 5-foot, 10-inch forward also had three blocks in the contest.
“She is growing every day. She is a freshman but we expect a lot out of her and we do not see her as a freshman. She is rising to the challenge. Mae is a very coachable player and she wants to grow. It is awesome. We are blessed to have her on our team,” Johnson said.
The Crusaders youthful roster, which is composed of three seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and three freshman, is adjusting well to Johnson’s philosophy on the floor. This is Johnson’s first season as the Crusaders head coach.
“I give them an A plus for all that they have learned this year. It is a whole new system and we are taking it one day at a time,” she said.
