By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two weeks had passed since the East High girls’ basketball team played its regular season finale.
Wednesday night, Tim Jackson’s Eagles showed no signs of struggling with the layoff.
Xandria Flanders and Imani Oliver combined to score 18 points over the opening six minutes as East sprinted to a 20-3 lead and advanced to the Class A quarter-finals.
Flanders, who came into the night averaging six points per game, connected four times from the floor during the first quarter and finished with a game-high 19.
Xandria Flanders takes the Shariona Blocker pass and hits the floater in the lane. @GoEastEagles 24 Arcadia 12 pic.twitter.com/uOaly38oL2
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2020
“Xandria played her best game tonight,” Jackson said after East’s 52-40 win over Greece Arcadia. “Her defensive pressure was key to the win.”
Flanders hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to give East a lead it did not surrender at 6-3. Two possessions later, the junior guard grabbed a loose ball and went the length of the floor for a layup. She converted another turnover into two points, and Oliver made it a double-digit game with a catch-and-shoot triple from the left wing.
East led 15-3.
“I was really pleased with the effort,” Jackson added. “We moved the ball well in that first quarter. I don’t think we could play any better. Defensively we worked really well together.”
Flanders hit a floater in the lane, and East doubled up Arcadia at 24-12. A Shariona Blocker trey late in the second quarter gave the Eagles their largest lead of the night 34-13.
“Not bad for being without a game for two weeks,” Jackson noted. “We didn’t have a scrimmage either, so I think on Saturday (sectional quarter-finals) we should look a little better.”
Oliver and Blocker finished with 12 points apiece. Blocker added seven assists and three rebounds.
Ball movement finds Imani Oliver, bottom of the bucket. @GoEastEagles 39-22 pic.twitter.com/sJqNymCJBs
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2020
Makayla McCorker had 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals.
“I’m still waiting for all of us to gel,” Jackson said of his squad.
Jazmine Darling led Arcadia with 15 points. Kristina Geraci added 12.
Kali Crowell hit a runner, and Darling followed with a 3-pointer to cut the East lead to single digits at 44-35 early in the fourth quarter.
Geraci hit one of two free throws then followed with a turnaround jumper to make it an eight-point game at 46-38.
Jazmine Darling finds Kristina Geraci underneath for the bucket, but Arcadia trails @GoEastEagles at halftime, 34-17 pic.twitter.com/Jliw9qBxgc
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 26, 2020
Arcadia did not get any closer.
“We got rushing a little bit in the second half, and it got away from us a little bit” Jackson stated.
Makenna Misiurewicz added six points for Arcadia. Crowell had five. Anna Dueker scored two points.
No. 6 East (11-10) advances to play No. 3 Aquinas (17-4) on Saturday. East defeated Aquinas 49-48 when the two teams met on November 29.
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