Eagles use twos to handle Sultans

By Ramon Scott
Updated: December 1, 2021

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

GRANITE HILLS 64, SANTANA 35

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON — It would seem that a team that went 1-for-22 from behind the three-point line would be hard-pressed to win a basketball game.

Well, not only did the Granite Hills Eagles still come out on top against the visiting Santana Sultans on Monday night, but they came out way on top in a 64-35 Grossmont Conference crossover contest.

Brothers Tre and Derek combined for 28 points, 19 rebounds, and eight steals. for the Eagles, while teammate Lawond Zangana added 15 points on 6-of-11 field goal attempts, along with 14 rebounds. Isaiah Hasten chipped in with 10 points for GHHS.

“This should be expected from us in the future,” Zangana said. “Only being our second game, we haven’t come out looking this good in a few seasons. Even with that, we shot very poorly but still managed to dominate. I think the team played great and I feel a greater connection between us this year, compared to previous years. I felt that I played great, but we’re just getting started. This is still early season. Once our shots start falling more consistently, it’s going to get scary, fast.

Derek Edmond blocked seven shots and also handed out a team-high four assists.

“We had a few practices but holidays we spent time with our families and I know my teammates were putting in work of their own on the side just like I was doing with my older brother. Coach (Dan Duffy) was stressing a lot of defense and shutting down defensively because he knows we can all score, we just need to stay locked in defensively and we did a great job with a bunch of blocks and many steals, which was a big reason we won. The threes have been very bad, there’s no better way to put it, but I would expect a lot of improvement from deep very soon.”

Less significantly, it was Derek who finally broke the ice from downtown for the team’s only three of the night. But more spectacularly, he threw down a jam in the second half.

“We will definitely be practicing threes and I think this is a very complete team,” said Tre Edmond. “We all have good chemistry together, and we have high goals for this season.”

Granite Hills led 11-5 after the first period and extended the lead to 33-17 by halftime.

Santana got 12 points from senior Jacob Ortiz.

Senior Sivan Hasadi had five points and a team-high 12 boards for the Sultans.